Newcastle United are reportedly in pole position to complete the capture of Rangers wonderkid Alex Lowry this summer.
According to a report by Football Insider, Premier League side Newcastle United have held talks to sign highly-rated attacking midfielder Alex Lowry from Rangers.
Though several other top clubs are set to compete for the teenager’s services, Eddie Howe’s Magpies are believed to be at the front of the queue to sign him, with the 18-year-old himself currently weighing his options as Rangers try to keep him at the Ibrox Stadium.
It is also claimed that a meeting was held between Lowry’s agent and Newcastle’s head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, in a hotel earlier this month where they outlined their interest to lure the talented teenager away from Scotland’s top-flight.
The Scotland Under-19 international is regarded as one of the most gifted young players to emerge from Gers’ youth academy recently. He is enjoying somewhat of a breakthrough campaign with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions, having only broken into the first-team picture this season. But he has already made quite an impression, with Rangers fans in awe of the elegant midfielder’s performances.
Lowry has played four first-team matches for the Glasgow giants this term, scoring and assisting one goal apiece across three Scottish Cup outings and one appearance in the Premiership. His current deal runs out next year, but Football Insider states that Rangers are looking to tie the youngster down to fresh terms until the summer of 2024.
The young midfielder’s ability is clearly not going unnoticed, with reports indicating that he may leave Rangers in the near future. The report adds that the 18-year-old has already turned down an initial contract offer from the club. That offer was said to have been on improved terms and worth £5,000 per week.
As such, the Europa League semi-finalists acknowledge the 18-year-old’s enormous potential and are wary of interest from south of the border, with cash-rich Newcastle among a host of English clubs interested in his signature.
Newcastle did not recruit any talent to the academy in January since the priority was to bolster the first team in order to stay in the Premier League. However, it appears that restructuring the club’s academy will be one of the priorities for the new owners this summer.
Last week, RTE reported that Newcastle had won the race for Galway United defender Alex Murphy, and now it seems Lowry could follow in the same footsteps. While the Toon are always expected to splurge the cash on readymade stars, it is interesting that the club is also focusing on improving the quality of their youth ranks, especially considering Howe’s proven track record with young talents.
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As mentioned, Lowry is weighing up all options available to him on the table, with Rangers desperately hoping that Lowry makes a U-turn after rejecting that original offer. So much so that Gers’ first-team boss, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and club officials met with the youngster and his family last week in an attempt to persuade him to sign on the dotted line to continue what could be a promising future in Glasgow.
