West Ham United require a miracle to keep Harrison Ashby after latest Newcastle United development
West Ham look set to lose promising youngster Harrison Ashby in January, with Newcastle United keen on signing the defender, according to Claret & Hugh.
Ashby’s West Ham contract expires next season, and instead of extending his stay at the London Stadium it seems the 21-year-old is tempted by a move to Newcastle United.
Ashby has made just one Premier League appearance for the Hammers as well as two appearances in this season’s Europa Conference League.
The promising right-back shares the same agent as Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, and Claret & Hugh are now reporting that Ashby “looks certain to join Newcastle in January or at the end of his contract in June next year.”
The report adds that “a miracle will be required to keep him at the London Stadium.”
Regret
West Ham could look back on this transfer with huge regret in a few years’ time. The Hammers lost exciting midfielder Sonny Perkins to Leeds in the summer in a deal that already looks like a tragic mistake from the club.
Perkins has shone at Elland Road and strung together a very impressive scoring record in Yorkshire. Losing another promising youngster to a Premier League rival is inexcusable.
The West Ham academy is clearly producing huge talents but the club aren’t taking advantage and introducing the first team. It’s hard to blame the youngsters for then looking elsewhere for first-team game time.
If David Moyes is choosing to ignore the youngsters coming up from the academy then he is costing the club massively. Ashby and Perkins both had the potential to be future stars for West Ham but the club have now lost out.
Not only have West Ham lost two potential stars, but Moyes’ actions will also give the club a poor reputation for developing youngsters, dissuading other future stars from joining the academy.