With the January transfer window quickly coming to a close, it would seem as though Newcastle United are finally stepping into the limelight at the perfect time.
Having just secured a £45 million deal for Everton forward Anthony Gordon, manager Eddie Howe could just call it quits there in the window after an incredibly successful first half of the Premier League season.
But it would seem as though the Magpies have already agreed on a fee for their second signing in as many days, as West Ham defender Harrison Ashby looks set to be the top-flight most stubborn defence's newest jigsaw piece.
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Here we take a look at the 21-year-old who has been linked with a move to St. James' Park.
Who is he?
Harrison Ashby started out on Chelsea's books as a youngster before moving to West Ham's academy setup in 2017 at the age of 16 where he managed 13 Under-18 Premier League appearances across his first two seasons.
He signed his first professional contract with West Ham back in the summer of 2020 after which he moved up into the Under-21s setup and has been a consistent performer for them.
It was last season when David Moyes gave him his first - and so far only - taste of Premier League action when he came on for six minutes in a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal but his record does look promising for Howe.
With Kieran Trippier to guide him, Ashby could certainly be a 'mouldable' player into the style that the Magpies are after, and with over sixty matches of academy Premier League matches under his belt, the Scotsman is certainly more experienced that most 21-year-olds.
The 21-year-old has also featured in multiple levels of the Scottish national youth system, having made a single appearance for the Under-17s before moving up to the Under-19s where he's featured four times.
He's featured three times for the Under-21s with all of his appearances coming in their UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifying campaign, where he even ended up scoring in a 7-0 win over San Marino.
What's been said about him?
Former West Ham captain Mark Noble was happy for the youngster back when he made his Premier League debut for the Hammers and highlighted both his technical and physical abilities.
"I think Harrison has been great when he’s come into the team. I think he has a real physical stature for the game and he is great, physically, as a player.
"Technically he is also very good, and for him it’s just about getting that experience around us and around the first team. When he’s come in, he has looked really strong. He fully deserved his Premier League debut this year."
Current Hammers U-21s coach Mark Robins has previously hailed Ashby as a 'top' player for his side in previous matches.
"It was really good to see Harrison and Manny [Emmanuel Longelo] back (after injury). For Manny, it was his second game after Brighton, so he’s had two matches back.
"Harrison adds a lot to us as a player and he’s a top player. And that’s the standard that I want from everyone."
Robins' predecessor Dimitri Halajko was also thoroughly impressed by Ashby's play, noting his 'real high-quality' when in possession of the ball.
"I thought the whole back four were tremendous.
"Harrison got a goal and an assist – real quality moments, both of them – and the two centre-halves dealt with all of the direct play. They didn’t miss many first or second balls, which here, is a really tough place to do that.
"The whole back four were superb and Harrison had a few real high-quality moments, which put the game in our favour."
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