Joe White still has 18 months left on his Newcastle United contract
Newcastle United midfielder Joe White(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Joe White’s return to Newcastle United is expected to be short-lived with a number of clubs showing interest in securing the midfielder’s services during the final three weeks of the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old has experienced mixed fortunes during several loan moves away from Tyneside after spending temporary stints with Hartlepool United, Exeter City, Crewe Alexandra and MK Dons in recent seasons.
Another loan move was secured during the summer when White joined Leyton Orient on an initial season-long deal – but that was cut short earlier this week as the Cumbrian-born midfielder returned to Tyneside.
White, who has made four senior appearances for Newcastle, is now in the final 18 months of his current contract and a decision is looming over his long-term future at St James Park. With his path to the first-team blocked by a plethora of senior midfielders, it seems likely White will now look to take the next step in his career elsewhere.
Speaking on Friday night before stepping down from his role less than 48 hours later, former Magpies Under-21s lead coach Adam Lawrence admitted a move could come in the near future and believes the midfielder’s ability means he will be the subject of interest from potential suitors.
He told Chronicle Live: “I think the idea will be for Joe to be in the building for the short-term. Obviously he’s just finished one loan, there’ll be some interest in him because, now I don’t know Joe too well, but he’s had two or three sessions with us and you can see he’s got real quality.
“It’s more just about getting him physically and mentally in the right frame of mind to then go back out again. I can’t say for certain but I can’t see him being in the building for very long and it’s more about supporting him in this middle period to go out again.
“Hopefully, he can find the right move for him and then he can kick on with his career because he’s got good quality.”
Lawrence also confirmed Under-21s captain Cathal Heffernan was left out of the matchday squad for Friday’s Premier League 2 defeat against Middlesbrough as he could make a move away from the club over the coming days.
Striker Ben Parkinson became the first player to leave the Magpies during the January transfer window when he completed a permanent move to Falkirk on Saturday after an undisclosed fee was agreed between the two clubs earlier this week.
A decision will have to be taken over the next step in goalkeeper Aidan Harris’ development after he returned from a successful loan spell with Northern Irish club Coleraine and Chronicle Live understands the likes of Charlie McArthur, Alfie Harrison and Sean Neave have received interest from elsewhere.
Lawrence revealed the Magpies hierarchy have identified several players that are ready for loan or permanent moves over the remaining three weeks of the transfer window – but warned they may have to be patient before they get a chance to experience senior football.
“Some of the movement will happen later on in the window because that’s when a lot of the activity gets done,” he explained.
“There is definitely a core of players that we have identified as trying to transition into senior football. Some of those would be ready for a permanent move, there’ll be others that would be more of a loan – but we are looking at each individual to decide what we do with them.”
The Magpies Under-21s will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon when they face Benfica in the Premier League International Cup tie before they will prepare for Friday’s Wear-Tyne derby against their Sunderland counterparts.
The upcoming fixtures will represent the first of Robbie Stockdale’s second interim spell in charge of the Magpies youngsters as the search for Lawrence’s successor gets underway.