What a surprise. Having already seen Liverpool and Man City linked to highly-rated youngster Rolando Aarons, Newcastle fans now have to wake up today to the news that Arsenal have joined the race for the England youth international. With 18 months left on his current contract (including the one year option Newcastle inserted into his most recent deal), Aarons was always going to attract attention, and it's a little frustrating that Newcastle didn't work on his contract before blooding him in the first team (or allowing other teams' scouts to come and watch him play in behind closed doors friendlies). Arsene Wenger is the latest manager to be said to be monitoring the situation, according to the Daily Star. Obviously, The Chronicle have already said Newcastle are keen to sign up Aarons to a long-term deal - more informed supposition than actual fact, you'd have to suggest - but faced with the prospect of three big clubs (Alan Pardew's nightmare every transfer window), the Magpies might have to test the waters with the youngster to see whether he'd plan on simply letting his contract run down to pick up inflated wages with one of them. If that is the case, then Newcastle would have to sell to make sure they don't miss out on any money. It's unclear what Aarons biggest motivation is at this point, and hopefully it's going to be the chance to play more first team football at Newcastle, rather than watching from the bench at one of his alleged suitors. At Arsenal he'd have to contend with a host of wingers, just as he would at Liverpool, and Man City don't exactly have a strong record for developing young English talent they've pilfered from smaller teams. Let's hope that the England U20 international realises that for now Newcastle would be the best place to develop, and also that the club don't sniff a fast buck and sell him on before he has a chance to mature into a player who could be worth £20m plus in not too long a time. Unfortunately, we've seen this before, and as long as Mike Ashley is so willing to do business on players "at the right price", the fact that he is contractually fragile will have most fans writing his sale off as an inevitability.
