Newcastle United have taken great strides toward true prominence at the front of the European game since the PIF club takeover two years ago, and have in fact gone from relegation battlers to Champions League contenders in that timeframe.
Pretty impressive, and while the surface view highlights the newfound monetary power as the foundation of the success, and while this may be the case, the diligence and precision demonstrated has been the true framework allowing St. James' Park to rise again.
Acquisitions such as Alexander Isak, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Pope have been nothing short of emphatic, evidence of technical director Dan Ashworth's intelligence and Eddie Howe's aptitude in imparting his excellent tactical knowledge on the ambitious squad.
Having indeed qualified for the Champions League with a top four Premier League finish last season, the Magpies are in good stead to secure a European spot once again, having cast aside the slow start to the season and enjoying some statement victories over Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain over the past few weeks.
At the centre of the exploits is a healthy homegrown facet to the fold, with energetic Sean Longstaff, wily Dan Burn and burgeoning Elliot Anderson all playing an important role – the latter growing into his skin in what tantalises to be an impressive breakout year.
Candidly, Newcastle's academy has not been up to scratch over the past few years, minnowed by the profusion of talent blooming from the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur; franker still, it is important that emphasis is placed on improving the youth ranks to provide Newcastle with the bedrock that rivals perch upon.
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Player
Market Value
Current Club
1.
Sean Longstaff
£22m
Newcastle
2.
Elliot Anderson
£11m
Newcastle
3.
Dan Burn
£9m
Newcastle
4.
Adam Armstrong
£9m
Blackburn
5.
James Tavernier
£6m
Rangers
6.
Freddie Woodman
£5m
Preston
7.
Oliver Kemen
£2m
Kayserispor
8.
Lewis Miley
£2m
Newcastle
The table illustrates how far the Toon formative fold has been from the desired standard over contemporary times; having utterly failed to produce a flow of potential, this has been emblematic of the club's struggles under erstwhile owner Mike Ashley.
But, promisingly, the three players with the highest valuations all serve under Howe's stewardship, while Lewis Miley, aged just 17, will continue to make improvements to his craft and is considered a "brilliant" talent by the Chronicle's Lee Ryder.
The new wave doesn't stop there though, moves have been made to raise the bar in the Tyneside formative fold, with sights set on building a project capable of rivalling the goliaths of English youth football.
One player who could play a role as big as Miley's over the coming years is Alex Murphy, who was signed after the lucrative takeover and is held in high regard.
Who is Alex Murphy?
Irishman Murphy joined Newcastle from his homeland side Galway United in June 2022 before his 18th birthday, and he has since been making commendable progress in his development.
Upon the acquisition, Steve Harper, Newcastle United's Academy manager, said: "We are very pleased to have secured a deal to bring Alex to Newcastle United.
"He is a very promising young player who has attracted a lot of attention from clubs. It is a real coup for our Academy and is testament to the direction the club is going in under our owners."
He has now made 21 appearances for the U21s after forging 32 matches for Galway, scoring two goals and supplying four assists.
And while he only completed 15 starts in the Premier League 2 across the 2022/23 campaign, almost exclusively featured as a centre-half, he has started the current term on the left side of the backline.
Such versatility sets Murphy up to succeed Dan Burn, who is traditionally a centre-back but had been utilised, to great effect, on the left, surpassing Matt Targett in the role.
Burn, aged 31, is one of the rare instances of the old youth fold succeeding at St. James' Park, and while he only joined Newcastle in January 2021, moving from Brighton & Hove Albion for £13m, he is now comfortably ensconced at the centre of Howe's plans.
Now 19 years old, Murphy is still awaiting his first-team debut but has been praised for his “impressive” start by journalist Mark Carruthers, and he could now make the strides to wedging his way into shining senior action.
How good could Alex Murphy become?
It is crucial to remember that progress, development and improvements are not linear in football, such things are distinctive to a particular player.
Miley, for instance, made his debut against Chelsea last season and started in the Carabao Cup victory over Manchester City last month; he is yet to turn 18.
Anderson, however, only broke into the Newcastle first-team last term, having turned 20 last November, and even then he only made three Premier League starts all season. This year, he already has four to his name.
Described as a "big-game player" by Howe, Anderson is crisp and calculated in possession, creative with his distribution, and inventive in his forward movements.
The £30k-per-week gem is evidence of the new surge of quality emanating from Tyneside, and while he is still growing into his skin, he has left teammates such as Trippier calling him "unbelievable" after a focal role throughout pre-season.
Murphy must be handed similar time to forge his path, and given that Jamal Lascelles, Paul Dummett and Fabian Schar are all within the final year of their contracts with Newcastle, talented youngsters such as Murphy could be pivotal in bolstering the squad with a blend of experience and youthful exuberance.
Murphy is on a lower rung of the ladder, but he boasts the quality and skills to thrive in the future, and given the opportunity, there is no reason why he won't work his way into the very core of Howe's first-team plans.