Newcastle in contact over Owen Emeka signing as Toon target Granada talent

Newcastle United are reportedly keeping tabs on another exciting teenage prospect, with Granada winger Owen Emeka emerging as the latest young talent on our radar.

This comes from Italian journalist Matteo Moretto, who has revealed the interest while speaking on Radio Marca's La Pizarra. 

Moretto says Newcastle, Arsenal and Everton have all made contact regarding the 17-year-old, although there is no suggestion at this stage that any of the clubs have made a formal offer at this stage.

Newcastle have "asked about" Emeka signing

Speaking on Radio Marca, Moretto confirmed Newcastle have 'asked about' Emeka, who received interest from Real Madrid before his contract renewal last season.

“Last season he had offers from important clubs, but he refused to leave Granada and decided to renew. Real Madrid explored signing Emeka, but it didn’t happen.

“There are clubs that are following him closely. Everton, Newcastle, and Arsenal asked about him.”

Emeka was born in Málaga to a Spanish father and a Nigerian mother, making him eligible to represent Nigeria. At this stage, however, he has opted to play within Spain's youth system and started in their Under-18s' Friendship Cup win over an England squad featuring four Newcastle talents.

It is another interesting name to add to the growing list of young players Newcastle are looking at across the globe, as sporting director Ross Wilson continues to build a recruitment model focused heavily on potential and long-term development.

Emeka has only recently started making his mark in senior football with Granada, having progressed from the club's academy into their B team before earning his first-team opportunity this year.

The right winger has made six senior appearances this season, scoring once, and his progress has clearly caught the attention of clubs outside Spain.

Emeka renewed his Granada contract in 2024 after turning down interest from a number of clubs, with Real Madrid also having explored a potential deal. His current agreement runs until 2031, meaning Granada are in a strong position when it comes to his future.

Reports from Nigeria's Soccernet, relayed by Sport Witness, claim that Emeka has a €15m release clause in his contract. That's obviously a sizeable fee for a player so early into his senior career, so it remains to be seen whether Newcastle or any of his other admirers would be prepared pay that sort of money. Based on our £250,000 move for Ousmane Diabate over the summer, I suspect not. 

Ross Wilson eyeing another teenage gem? 

What makes this one particularly interesting from a Newcastle perspective is how neatly Emeka fits the recruitment strategy we have seen developing under Ross Wilson.

The Magpies have been looking increasingly far and wide for young players with the potential to develop into first-team options. Ousmane Diabaté, Johan Martínez and Afner Cá are three recent examples of overseas talents recruited from Turkey, Ecuador and Spain, respectively.

Diabaté, signed from Gençlerbirliği, has already gained senior experience in Turkey and is spending this season back there on loan. We have also brought in Ecuadorian winger Martínez from Independiente del Valle, although he will remain with the South American club until he is eligible to move to England, while Guinea-Bissau forward Cá joined the Academy after developing in Spain with Levante. 

It's a clear strategy that we're trying to build upon. It isn't simply about filling the Academy with teenagers and hoping one or two make it. The club are identifying players early, giving them the right environment to develop and, where appropriate, allowing them to continue playing senior football elsewhere before bringing them into the first-team picture.

Whether anything comes of this particular interest remains to be seen, especially with a reported €15m clause and competition from Arsenal and Everton. But if Newcastle have already made contact, as Moretto reports, it is another name worth keeping an eye on.

For now, Emeka is only at the very beginning of his senior career, but that may just encourage Newcastle to step in quickly if we truly believe he's a top talent.

If Wilson and the club's recruitment team believe the Granada winger has the potential to become a Premier League-level player, this could be another one of those moves we try to get through the door before the rest of Europe catches up.