Newcastle United youngster signed from Manchester City for £1m could already be on his way out of Tyneside
It was only a couple of years ago that Newcastle United fans were excited by the prospect of picking off one of Manchester City's most highly-rated youth players.
Newcastle paid a sum of £1 million to bring Alfie Harrison to the North East, and there was a lot of buzz about his huge potential.
The attacking midfielder had garnered a sterling reputation in City's academy, and Newcastle being able to convince him to join the Magpies was seen as a huge coup at the time.
However, things quickly quietened down on the Harrison front, and aside from a couple of appearances in pre-season, there's not been much to suggest that he's anywhere near a first-team breakthrough.
Alfie Harrison never got close to reaching the potential we thought he had
With the January transfer window just a couple of days away, The Chronicle are now reporting that Harrison could be on his way out of the club.
There are a couple of Championship clubs keen on the 20-year-old, with Birmingham City named as potential suitors.
Harrison's contract is up in the summer, so if Newcastle want to recoup any of that £1 million fee, January will be their last chance, as he's unlikely to be offered a new deal.
Newcastle's academy is still way behind where we want it to be
There seems to be a trend of Newcastle bringing in highly-rated kids and not developing them to their full potential.
The goal has always been to develop a world-class academy like that of Manchester City, but it's clear we're still a long way off that as things stand.
We still have some very talented young players, but whether they get the nurturing they need to break into the first team is anyone's guess. We know that if we don't get our loan deals right, then it's very unlikely to happen.
