Young Magpies to watch this year

AS we begin a new year, Newcastle head into 2026 with a blank slate.

- By Sean McCormick

Last year brought the club's long and desperate 70-year wait to win a domestic trophy to an end with Carabao Cup glory at Wembley Stadium against Liverpool.

It also saw the Magpies qualify for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons and 2026 could well be just as special.

Newcastle need to improve their Premier League standing but they are a two-legged win over Manchester City away from reaching a second successive Carabao Cup final.

They also begin their FA Cup campaign and are in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in the club's history.

In the midst of all that, there could well be another breakout star from the club's academy who make a name for themselves, just as Lewis Miley has managed to do in recent years.

With that in mind, the Sunday Sun has picked out seven youngsters to watch out for in 2026.

SAM ALABI

Alabi may only be 16 years of age but he is so highly rated at Newcastle he has already been on the bench for the first team three times this season.

Since joining the club from Oldham Athletic as a 13-year-old, Alabi has risen through Newcastle’s youth ranks and is already a regular for the club’s under-21 side.

He starred in last month's 5-2 win for Newcastle under-18s over Portsmouth in the FA Youth Cup third round and, in truth, already looked a level above most players on that pitch.