According to Alfie House, the Saints have won the race to the 16-year-old’s signature.
Newman has come through the ranks of the Norwich academy system, and has even been capped at an international level for both England and Wales’ U16 sides.
This will come as a blow to the Canaries, who are set to miss out on a promising young prospect that’s emerged from their underage network.
He is set to start with Southampton immediately, but it is unclear what kind of compensation the Norfolk outfit have received as part of the move.
Oli Newman makes Southampton switch
Newman had become a prized asset at Norwich, with the teenager attracting a lot of interest from major clubs.
Arsenal, Spurs and Brighton were all among the candidates to win his signature, along with Southampton.
But the Saints have convinced him to make the switch to St. Mary’s instead, perhaps by guaranteeing a clearer pathway to first team football at a Premier League level.
It remains to be seen how far away Newman is from playing for the senior side, but he has certainly earned a lot of plaudits for his underage performances.
Monaco join race for Norwich City star
Jonathan Rowe is thought to be attracting more interest from France, providing Leeds United with more competition in this race.
The youngster is capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or as a winger, which is a kind of versatility that could prove quite useful in his career.
Southampton gained promotion back to the Premier League last season, winning the play-offs at the expense of Norwich, who had come sixth in the table.
Newman competed in the U18 edition of the top flight last year, and he will now have his sights firmly set on continuing his progress through the ranks until he reaches senior football.
It is likely too soon to be thinking about a full debut for the Saints, but he could be playing in Russell Martin’s side within one or two years if he can continue to develop his game.
Norwich City’s 2024 summer transfer activity
| Norwich City – 2024/25 Departures | Per – Transfermarkt | |
|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Signed For | Loan/Permanent |
| Gabriel Sara | Galatasaray | Permanent |
| Christos Tzolis | Düsseldorf | Permanent |
| Dimitrios Giannoulis | Augsburg | Permanent |
| Ben Gibson | Stoke City | Permanent |
| Sam McCallum | Sheffield United | Permanent |
| Jon McCracken | Dundee | Permanent |
| Danny Batth | Blackburn Rovers | Permanent |
Newman isn’t the only academy graduate at Norwich to be under transfer scrutiny this summer, with Jonathan Rowe’s future at Carrow Road uncertain.
According to L’Equipe, Leeds United are still in the running to sign the winger, with Foot Mercato reporting that AS Monaco are now also in the race.
A deal has also been agreed to sell Adam Idah to Celtic for £9.5 million, according to Sky Sports.
Elsewhere in the first team, Gabriel Sara and Christos Tzolis have also been sold.
Losing promising youngsters is a blow for Norwich
Clubs are now going younger and younger with the players they target, and that includes even those still in academy systems.
This will come as a blow for Norwich, as the youngster had proven a promising talent who could’ve earned his way into the first team squad eventually.
The fact Arsenal, Spurs and Brighton were all also interested speaks volumes regarding his potential at senior level.
Southampton will be very pleased to have beaten those clubs to his signing, which could prove a very lucrative move in the years to come.
