Newcastle United have already made transfer decision on 20-year-old forward who now loves St James' Park

Newcastle beat Reading U21s 7-1 at St James’ Park on Monday night. It sees Diarmuid O'Carroll’s side pick up a fourth successive Premier League 2 win in their final home match of the regular season.

They end the regular season at Manchester City Under-21s on next Monday. The Young Magpies win confirms a place for them in the play-offs which sees the top 16 teams compete in a seeded knockout competition.

Newcastle finished 22nd of 26 teams last season and missed out on a play-off place but have enjoyed a more promising campaign following O’Carroll’s appointment in September 2024.

Newcastle United Under-21s 7-1 Reading Under-21s

Garang Kuol scored two goals and grabbed an assist on his St James’ Park debut on Monday night while Alfie Harrison, Leo Shahar, Jay Turner-Cooke, Johnny Emerson and Joe Brayson scored to help The Young Magpies up to ninth in the table.

Sean Neave was denied the chance to feature at St James’ Park and continue his fine form for the Under-21s as he was with the first team for the 3-0 win at Leicester City in the Premier League. The 17-year-old was an unused substitute as he waits to make his competitive debut for the club.

Due to Newcastle being in action at around the same time as their Under-21s side, a small crowd of 213 gathered at St James’ Park on Monday night to watch the comprehensive win.

The match saw 20-year-old forward Kuol score his eighth goal of 2025 after seeing the first half of the season hampered due to injury.

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Garang Kuol continues his fine scoring form for NUFC U21s after loan decision

Garang Kuol now has eight goals in 12 appearances for Newcastle Under-21s this season. The forward was initially set to go out on loan at the start of the season but a quad injury ultimately blocked any chance of that happening.

There was also talk of a loan move during the recent winter transfer window with interest from Australia, but Newcastle and Kuol both agreed the best course of action would be to stay on Tyneside to continue his progress.

And it’s a decision that has been vindicated by Kuol finally getting settled and used to his surroundings on Tyneside after two frustrating loan spells at Volendam and Hearts in the previous two campaigns.

Despite his progress, Kuol is yet to make his competitive first-team debut with 17-year-old Neave currently preferred to him as part of Eddie Howe’s squad.

The plan is for the Australian World Cup international to leave the club again in the summer, with his contract at Newcastle running until June 2026.

Reflecting on his journey at Newcastle since his arrival from Central Coast Mariners in January 2023, Kuol said: “Obviously, when I first came [I was] on loan, straight to Hearts. Again, it was a period full of learning, and people would say it was a bad spell for me, but I think I was able to learn from it, and take a lot of things out of it.

“Then I went on to the Netherlands again on loan, for the season-long loan. I feel like it was very good for me as well, especially the first half of the season when I was playing consistently and training consistently under the coaches that brought me in. It was very good for me.

“And obviously pre-season here with the first team was very good for me. I saw the level that the first team people were at, and just to see it live in the flesh, the work rate and where I got to get to, it was good for me, which brings me to here.

“I enjoy the somewhat quiet cityand going to the games [at St James’ Park] as well is very enjoyable, seeing the team play. Just going to training every day, I'm very happy.”

He added: “[My aim this season] is just consistently keep playing games, keep helping the team, and just keep training well every day. If you're training every day consistently and training well, it builds confidence and it makes you more eager to come into training every day with a smile on your face and willingness to work hard.”

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