It may not be a blockbuster signing, but the arrival of Harrison Ashby from West Ham should still excite Newcastle United fans. For while the young right-back has made only a handful of senior appearances, the Magpies are signing a player who was the subject of a tug of war between every major London club as a small child.
Ashby has been scouted as Kieran Trippier’s long-term replacement by United manager Eddie Howe and sporting director Dan Ashworth.
But the now 21-year-old was in the sights of big clubs much earlier, aged just six or seven. Although he joined the Hammers aged nine, Ashby had already been at Chelsea’s academy for two years – and sparked a capital-wide scouting battle even before that.
