Newcastle United continue to strengthen and deepen their academy after securing several notable signings already this summer.

Eighteen-year-old Park Seung-soo arrived during the summer to join the Newcastle United academy but was pushed into the first team in pre-season to gain more attention back in his homeland of Korea. Few could have foreseen how seamlessly the youngster would fit into the side, and although Eddie Howe is unlikely to do so, there have been shouts to keep him within the senior squad.

We still anticipate the arrival of Vakhtang Salia, the young Georgian talent who will link up with Newcastle at the end of the month upon turning 18, yet in the meantime, the Magpies are not standing still.

The club today confirmed the signing of 16-year-old England youth international Isaac Moran from Liverpool.

The young defender has already featured for Liverpool under-18s, and Newcastle identified his promise, bringing him to Tyneside to further his growth.

In an interview on the club’s website, academy director Steve Harper expressed his delight at adding Moran to their setup.

It may take some time before the teenager gets anywhere near the first team, but he will join Trevan Sanusi and Alfie Harrison as recruits from other clubs worth monitoring.

While issues remain, there’s no question Newcastle are working towards a bright future.

Once the new CEO and sporting director are revealed, we expect news on areas ranging from the stadium and training base to a refined transfer strategy, all of which should aid first-team recruitment. Until then, it’s encouraging to see the academy continuing to attract exciting prospects.