Newcastle Transfers: 8 Reasons Rolando Aarons MUST Stay

5. The Academy Is Actually Starting To Work

The youth system at Newcastle has been broken at Newcastle since Kevin Keegan decided that focus away from the first-team was a mistake. Since then, the club have produced a grand total of 1 player worthy of real note in Andy Carroll, while every other "next Gazza" or "next Shearer" has evaporated into thin air as soon as they've come close to the first-team. Now though, the first team has Sammy Ameobi, Paul Dummett, Steven Taylor, Remie Streete (thanks to injuries), Aarons and Armstrong - all local talent, all free. Something is working, and the club's decision to look more closely at bringing players through rather than buying young foreigners to swell the Youth ranks appears to be working. Good. But, if Newcastle decide to sell the first really A-Star prospect who has emerged from the Academy to the first, highest bidder, it sets out their stall early: fans will immediately recognise that the agenda with the new local acquisition model isn't about local pride, it's about affordability and profit. The manifesto that local kids know what it means to play for the club will evaporate in a cloud of pound signs, and the whole endeavour will crumble - at least from a PR perspective. And of course that's the end-game, but do we really need it shoved down our throats that every single talented youngster is likely to be sold on before they've even had a chance to make it in the first team?