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Newcastle United have announced they have reached an agreement to sign highly-rated teenager Garang Kuol, who will join the Premier League club in January.
The 18-year-old currently plays for Australian side Central Coast Mariners, but the Magpies have moved quickly to sign him ahead of a queue of top European clubs.
Getty
Getty
Kuol, who recently made his senior international debut for the Socceroos, arrived in the north east on Wednesday to sign terms, with Newcastle announcing the deal will become official in January 2023 when the transfer window opens.
Speed was of the essence for Eddie Howe, with the Daily Mail reporting that Stuttgart had already made a bid, while Barcelona wanted him on a two-year loan.
He is believed to cost around £300,000 and will go out on an initial loan spell after joining Newcastle.
Kuol’s family come from Sudan, but fled to Egypt, where Garang was born in 2004.
The family lived in Egypt for a year before then moving to Australia as refugees.
His father, Mawien, and mother, Antonita, worked as dry cleaners, while Antonita also had a job as a seasonal worker at a fruit factory.
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And he is now set to become a Premier League player, as he told his new club’s official website: “It’s unreal.
“As a young boy in Australia, the Premier League is the main thing that everyone watches but nobody actually thinks they’ll reach those heights. To be one of those people, to be in the position I am, it’s amazing.
“Now that I’ve signed for Newcastle, I want to train hard, play hard, hopefully go to the World Cup and come back here.”
Kuol made his A-League debut for Central Coast Mariners in April, scoring four goals in his first eight games.
He flourished under the tutelage of Nick Montgomery – the former Sheffield United midfielder.
Kuol made his debut for the Australia national in a friendly against New Zealand during the recent international break.
He was also selected as part of the 2022 A-League All Stars team that took on Barcelona in front of over 70,000 spectators in Sydney earlier this year.
And now that he has completed his move to Newcastle, he has followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Alou, who joined Stuttgart last year.
Newcastle United sporting director, Dan Ashworth, said: “Garang is a very promising young talent and we are excited that he’ll be continuing his development as a Newcastle United player.
“Our philosophy is to invest in our Academy and in exciting young players for the future, as well as in players required to make an immediate impact in the first team.
“We wish Garang the best of luck in his remaining games with Central Coast Mariners and we hope to see him on the international stage again very soon.”
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