Birmingham City set to sign Newcastle United prospect Josh Home on two-year scholarship contract

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According to Birmingham Live, Birmingham City are set to sign Newcastle United prospect Josh Home on a two-year scholarship contract following a successful trial period with the Championship side.

Home first connected with the St. Andrews’ natives in January and impressed the Second City side’s hierarchy, and has since frequently travelled to the West Midlands to train with the Blues’ Under 23s and first-team.

Lee Bowyer has sought to afford academy players opportunities to train with the senior fold since replacing Aitor Karanka as the head coach in March (Guardian), and offered Home that chance ahead of Birmingham’s final match of the league season at Blackburn last weekend.

Birmingham have tracked Home for a number of years and have secured his signature against fierce rival interest, with Aberdeen, Grimsby Town and Lincoln City among a list of suitors the midfielder has rejected.

Home has decided to accept the Blues’ offer to leave Newcastle at the end of the season as he feels the Championship side represent the best place for the next phase of his development.

Birmingham intend to sign Home for their Under 18 side at first, before pushing on for a place in Steve Spooner’s U23s should he establish a regular role in Paul Harsley’s squad that has reached this season’s Professional Development League play-offs.

TBR’s view:

Newcastle will no doubt be disappointed to see a promising part of their academy leave for pastures new elsewhere, but a move away from the North East has been a long time coming for Home with the midfielder joining Birmingham on trial earlier in the year.

The 15-year-old will hope that his decision to leave the Toon proves beneficial in the long-term with Birmingham already affording chances to train at a higher level, and have shown a willingness to play young players despite their age if they can prove that they are ready.

Four teenagers have featured for the Blues in the Championship this season, including 18-year-old Amari Miller who Bowyer handed his debut to in April, while also affording five teenagers their breakthroughs during his tenure in charge at Charlton Athletic.