Newcastle have been linked with a summer move for soon-to-be free agent Kyle Scott, who The Sun believe already has the backing of Rafa Benitez.
Scott has been on Chelsea’s books since the age of ten, but the Stamford Bridge outfit are now prepared to allow the 21-year-old to leave South West London this summer when his £3,000-a-week contract expires.
Despite spending eleven years with the Pensioners, the Bath-born former England and United States youth international only made one senior appearance for the 2018 FA Cup winners, when he made his Chelsea debut as a second-half substitute in the Fifth Round of the competition against Hull City.
The rest of Scott’s professional career has been spent in the Blues’ academy, before joining Dutch second-tier side SC Telstar on loan last summer, where he would make 14 appearances in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie and score two goals before returning home in the winter.
With his time at Stamford Bridge now up, having twice lifted the UEFA Youth League trophy, the central midfielder is allegedly keen to revive his stuttering career with a switch to St James’ Park, which could go through once his Chelsea deal expires later this month.
Benitez, while he has no guaranteed future on Tyneside, is likewise said to be keen to add Scott to his first-team group, in a move which somewhat echoes the path of Sean Longstaff.
Longstaff was a relatively unheard of talent outside of Newcastle before the 2018/19 season, but was given a chance in pre-season and was later rewarded with a top-flight debut and a regular spot in the starting XI.
Given there is still the same uncertainty over Jonjo Shelvey and Isaac Hayden’s futures at the club, a good pre-season and continued work in training once the league campaign kicks off, and Scott may likewise earn his shot during the busy festive period.