Newcastle United set to reject loan move for incoming 18-year-old winger for pretty clever reason
Newcastle United are said to be wrapping up the move to bring 'Korean Mbappe' Park Seung-soo to St James' Park.
Yesterday, it was reported that Park Seung-soo had a medical booked with Newcastle United, and now Football Asian reports that the teenager is heading to Newcastle to complete said medical ahead of a switch from Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
The 18-year-old still holds the distinction of being the youngest player to debut in the K-League at 17 years, 3 months and 13 days old. Newcastle saw off competition from a host of other European clubs to sign him.
Now that he's Newcastle-bound, the club have already reportedly made the decision that he will not be loaned out next season, and it makes perfect sense why not.
Newcastle have an eye on European football
The decision not to loan out Park Seung-soo has nothing to do with not trusting Shola Ameobi's decision-making after two Garang Kuol fiascos, but more to do with future-proofing the squad for the Champions League.
Keeping Park at the club will see him develop as a long-term “homegrown” and “club-trained” asset under Premier League and UEFA regulations. Something that the Magpies are going to struggle with this season.
Park will stick with the academy and play in the Premier League 2.
Newcastle are building towards a big future
Park will join the academy along with Antonio Cordero, another promising young winger who rejected some huge clubs to come to Newcastle.
Also joining later this year, when he turns 18, is Georgian starlet Vakhtang Salia.
We aren't naive enough to expect every one of these promising young players to make it into the first team, but the more of them we have, the more chances we have of unearthing a huge star.
