Newcastle United have sealed a deal for Irish defender Alex Murphy from Galway United.
United have beaten off competition from both West Bromwich Albion and Brighton to sign the 17-year-old and he will be added to Elliott Dickman's Under-23 squad next season. Murphy has already captained the Republic of Ireland at youth level and is regarded as one of the brightest stars in his country.
Speaking after securing the deal for Murphy, Academy manager Steve Harper said: "We are very pleased to have secured a deal to bring Alex to Newcastle United.
"He is a very promising young player who has attracted a lot of attention from clubs. It is a real coup for our Academy and is a testament to the direction the club is going in under our owners.
"I would like to thank everyone involved with Galway United for their assistance. "The club has been a pleasure to deal with and I wish John Caulfield and his players the very best of luck for the rest of the season."
The Irish media reported that Newcastle had tabled a €100,000 offer for Murphy earlier this year.
