“Rising Star: Teen Sensation Alfie Harrison Shines in Newcastle’s Pre-Season and Attracts Top European Interest”
The highly-regarded teenager, who joined from Manchester City in January, quickly impressed with his performances for the under-21s, earning him a spot in Eddie Howe’s first-team during pre-season.
Harrison was initially part of the squad that traveled to Adidas’ Herzogenaurach headquarters, where he played in the second half of a behind-closed-doors friendly against SpVgg Unterhaching.
Back in the UK, the 18-year-old came on with 30 minutes remaining in a match against Hull City, before traveling to Tokyo, where he appeared as a substitute in both games against Urawa Red Diamonds and Yokohama F. Marinos.
His strong performances led to his first start at St. James’ Park in a 1-0 win over Stade Brestois on Saturday. While a loan move for 17-year-old Trevan Sanusi was ruled out, head coach Eddie Howe suggested Harrison’s future was still undecided.
“We’ll always make decisions based on the individual,” Howe explained. “Trevan [Sanusi] will definitely stay with us, mainly due to his physical development. But with Alfie, we’ll make a decision later.
“For all the young players involved heavily during pre-season, it’s been great to expose them to a higher level. Some will return to the under-23s, while others may stay with us.”
Harrison reportedly attracted interest from West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, Celtic, Valencia, Borussia Dortmund, and Nice. A key factor in his decision to join Newcastle was the influence of head of youth recruitment Paul Midgley.