Newcastle United Opinion: Magpies should offer Chelsea starlet Kyle Scott an escape route

According to The Sun, Newcastle United are set to offer Chelsea starlet Kyle Scott a lifeline in the Premier League, with reports claiming that the Magpies are keen to secure the services of the 21-year-old on a free transfer this summer.

Scott joined Chelsea’s youth set-up at the U-10 level from Southampton back in 2007 but he hasn’t been able to make an impression in the first team at Stamford Bridge.

The 21-year-old featured in several matchday squads for the Blues under former manager Antonio Conte in the 2017-18 campaign and eventually made his first-team bow as a substitute in a 4-0 FA Cup victory over Hull City.

Lack of first-team opportunities at Chelsea might have stalled Scott’s progress but he has featured prominently for the Blues at all youth and reserve levels. The Bath-born youngster played a key role in Chelsea’s hat-trick of FA Youth Cup triumphs from 2013 to 2016, whilst also being a part of the squads that won the UEFA Youth League in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Scott was loaned out to Dutch second-tier side Telstar last summer, with a view to gain more first-team experience, but he is unlikely to stick around at Stamford Bridge for much longer given Chelsea’s poor record of handling youngsters.

The 21-year-old desperately needs regular first-team opportunities to kick start his career and Newcastle are prepared to offer him an escape route. The youngster has played for England, Republic of Ireland and the United States at the youth level, whilst he is also eligible to represent Italy, owing to the Italian heritage of his parents.

Essentially a central midfielder by trade, Scott has the versatility, range of passing and vision to switch between box-to-box and playmaking roles in the middle of the park. Noted for his technical abilities and flair and trickery on the ball, Scott is known as a hardworking and tenacious central midfielder, although he is yet to prove his credentials at the senior level.

To put things into perspective, Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez is seemingly attracted by Kyle Scott’s record at the youth level for Chelsea and the Spaniard believes the youngster has the talent and the potential to make an impact in the Premier League. The Magpies need depth in their central midfield options and Scott’s arrival could add much-needed cover in a key area of the pitch.

Newcastle have plenty of issues to sort out this summer, amidst speculations of a multi-million-pound takeover by UAE’s Bin Zayed Group. The Sun claims that the Dubai-based company spearheaded by Sheikh Khaled are closing in on the £350 million takeover of Newcastle and they are ready to complete the paperwork before the end of the month to ensure that Benitez stays put at Tyneside.

Central midfield is one area that is in dire need of investment this summer. There are question marks over the futures of Isaac Hayden, Mo Diame and Jonjo Shelvey and the departures of three of their first-team central midfielders would deal a huge blow to Newcastle’s squad depth ahead of the upcoming season.

They need to find an ideal partner for youngster Sean Longstaff in the middle of the park, and while Ki-Sung Yueng presents a good choice for that purpose, the Magpies need to look at other options as well.

Kyle Scott doesn’t have any prior experience of playing in the Premier League and it is unlikely that he would be amongst the first names on the teamsheet at St.James’ Park next season even if a move does materialize.

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However, he is regarded as a versatile player with a lot of potential and Newcastle could have a gem on their hands if Benitez, or whoever is in charge in the upcoming campaign, manages to extract the best out of him.