It’s been a challenging period when it comes to senior incomings at Newcastle United, but the refreshed strategy towards developmental signings and academy growth has been refreshing to watch.

With clearer pathways to first-team football now established, players such as Lewis Miley have broken through, while several highly rated youngsters have progressed across under-18 and under-21 levels.

On top of that, the club has widened its search for emerging stars worldwide: Park Seung-Soo has already impressed massively, and Newcastle outbid giants Real Madrid and Barcelona to land Antonio Cordero from Malaga.

That policy shows no signs of slowing, as another teenager nearing his 18th birthday is ready to be unveiled as the club’s newest academy addition, after bidding farewell to his current side.

Georgian forward Vakhtang Salia will be officially unveiled as a Newcastle United player once he celebrates his 18th birthday on Saturday, August 30.

A deal with Dinamo Tbilisi was finalised back in October, but the versatile attacker will now finally make the switch to Tyneside in a transfer that’s been long in preparation.

Compared to PSG star and countryman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Salia clearly recognises just how significant this move is for his career and where it might lead him.

The big question now is what awaits him after swapping Dinamo’s blue-and-white kit for Newcastle’s famous black-and-white stripes.

It’s unlucky for Salia that he couldn’t be included as part of the club’s pre-season plans.

We saw with Park Seung-Soo how receiving first-team minutes early on convinced Newcastle to keep him in England as part of the U-21 group.

Should that not be the case here, the expectation will be that Salia secures a loan opportunity abroad this season, much like Cordero who was sent to Belgian outfit K.V.C. Westerlo.