Newcastle United Opinion: Magpies should not hesitate to sign Kyle Scott for free
According to The Northern Echo, Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of midfielder Kyle Scott, who is currently a free agent following his release from the youth system at Chelsea.
Former manager Rafael Benitez was understood to be keen on bringing the player to Tyneside earlier in the summer but the Magpies are still pushing for a deal, despite the Spaniard’s departure to Chinese club Dalian Yifang. (h/t Northern Echo)
Scott is currently without a club after ending his 12-year-long association with Chelsea during which he made only a solitary appearance for the Blues first team. That, however, might change very soon, with the Magpies apparently interested in offering him an escape route to stay in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old featured regularly for Chelsea’s youth and development sides but he never really came close making the grade in the senior team, despite making several matchday squad appearances under former manager Antonio Conte in the 2017-18 campaign.
The midfielder’s lone appearance in a blue shirt came in the 4-0 home victory over Hull City in the FA Cup fifth-round tie in February 2018.
Scott was instrumental in Chelsea’s hat-trick of FA Youth Cup triumphs from 2013 to 2016 and he also won back-to-back UEFA Youth League titles with the Blues in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
The 21-year-old spent the last season on loan at Telstar in the Eerste Divisie- the second tier of Dutch football, prior to his release this summer.
The 21-year-old honed his skills as a versatile central midfielder in the youth ranks at Chelsea, with his ability to switch between central, attacking and defensive roles in the middle of the park making him a useful player to have in the squad.
Blessed with good technical abilities on the ball and a delicious first-touch, Scott combines his wonderful range of passing and ability to create space in the midfield with his tireless running to hold things together for his team.
The former Chelsea man might not be the strongest of players but he makes up for it with his good positional sense and tactical awareness.
Not only does he excel with his ability to win the ball back with crucial interventions, but Scott is more than capable of carrying the ball forward with pace and intent, with his high levels of energy making him a perfect fit for a box-to-box role.
To put things into perspective, it won’t be a bad idea for Newcastle United to play a gamble on him, given that he is available on a free transfer this summer. Also, Scott has experience of training with Chelsea’s first-team, which might be one of the few positives in the deal apart from the player’s talent and potential.
Without the charismatic presence of Benitez at the helm of affairs and faced with the departure of several of their key players, the Magpies currently find themselves in a big mess ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
While Steve Bruce has taken charge at Tyneside, the new manager will be under pressure to sort out the ongoing issues relating to the future of some unsettled stars at the club.
Replacements for Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon continue to be a top priority for Bruce but the former Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa boss also needs to make a call on the future of Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff, with both the clubs attracting widespread interest from several other clubs.
Hayden, in particular, is likely to complete a move away from the north-east of England in order to stay closer to his family. (h/t Chronicle Live)
Mo Diame’s release means that the Magpies are currently short of options in central midfield and Kyle Scott could possibly add a bit more depth to their squad alongside the likes of Longstaff, Ki Sung-Yueng and Jonjo Shelvey.
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However, it remains to be seen what kind of Newcastle have in mind for him in the Premier League next season, given that Scott doesn’t have any prior experience of playing in the English top-flight.
To conclude, this isn’t a deal which is likely to create too much excitement amongst the fans but it might as well set the ball rolling in the transfer window for the Magpies.