Newcastle chief Dan Ashworth makes exciting Lewis Miley claim ahead of January

Posted on

Newcastle United transfer chief Dan Ashworth has suggested that teenage sensation Lewis Miley could step up to fill the void left by Sandro Tonali at St James’ Park. Tonali is suspended for the rest of the season due to betting breaches, leaving manager Eddie Howe without his marquee summer signing.

Howe will need all hands on deck as the Magpies chase down a top-four spot for the second season in a row. Tonali was expected to play a major part, but a 10-month ban dished out by the Italian FA came into force at the end of last month.

It is now an open secret that Newcastle will scour the winter transfer market for a replacement. However, Ashworth has stressed that the club will not pull the trigger unless the opportunity is right, adding that a number of factors could prompt a change in strategy between now and January.

One of which, according to Ashworth, is the rise of 17-year-old Miley, who has been in and around the first-team fold this campaign after impressing in pre-season.

It is my job to protect him. He could possibly start games, but I don’t see that as an expectation for me to deliver.

Don’t miss… Liverpool ‘not giving up’ on signing Mbappe with Klopp ‘in constant contact’

“We’ve got a number of things we can do,” Ashworth told The Telegraph. “It might not be a like-for-like replacement for Sandro. It could be a player who can play in a different position or multiple positions.

“It could be that young Lewis Miley gets more minutes and comes to the fore over the coming weeks. We might look in a different area of the pitch. But obviously it is a blow losing Sandro. He was one of our big signings in a key area of the pitch.

  • Advert-free experience without interruptions.
  • Rocket-fast speedy loading pages.
  • Exclusive & Unlimited access to all our content.

Read more…
Manchester United dressing room ‘infuriated’ by Erik ten Hag’s Casemiro comment[REPORT]
Everton open talks with Tottenham over compromise on Dele Alli transfer clause[LATEST]
Tottenham rivals ‘eye Lloyd Kelly deal’ to derail Johan Lange’s first window[GOSSIP]

“He was going to be one of our most influential players so we have to do everything in our power to make sure the squad is as competitive as possible going into the second half of the season. We do have a little bit of flexibility and we are able to look at the market. But there are lots of ways to do it.”

Miley, a 6ft 1in midfielder, has been part of Newcastle’s academy set-up since the age of seven. While he is highly thought of in the north-east, Howe has gone out of his way to try and protect the youngster from the weight of expectations.

“I’m reluctant to put too much pressure on him and build him up more than you guys already will,” said the Magpies boss back in August. “It is my job to protect him. He could possibly start games, but I don’t see that as an expectation for me to deliver.”

Another option at Newcastle’s disposal is to recruit from the Saudi Pro League. Former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has been heavily linked to St James’ Park, and Ashworth claims that there are no rules preventing a move from taking place, despite the club’s majority owners hailing from Saudi Arabia.

Source: Read Full Article