Garang Kuol has been officially unveiled by Newcastle United.
Kuol will not qualify for an automatic UK work permit,so is expected to be loaned out to another European club in January,with Portugal the most likely destination,according to sources. Consistent first-team opportunities are crucial for him to realise his precocious talents,which is why the selection of his loan club is so vital to Australia’s national interests.
Born in Egypt to South Sudanese refugee parents,Kuol grew up in a family of seven brothers in Shepparton,country Victoria,and came through the ranks at NPL team Goulburn Valley Suns.
Garang Kuol will have plenty of new fans after signing with a Premier League club.Credit:Getty
Alou,21,the second-eldest,enjoyed a similar journey with the Mariners,earning a transfer 12 months ago toGerman Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, where he is in the mix for a debut after spending last season on loan at a lower-tier club. He has previously represented the Olyroos. Younger brothers Teng,19,and Didi,11,are also enrolled in the Mariners’ academy.
Kuol joins Newcastle at a fascinating moment in their 110-year history. A member of the Premier League in all bar three seasons since its foundation in 1992,the Magpies werebought last year by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for £300 million - instantly making them the richest club in the world. They are expected to take on a similar trajectory as Manchester City following their takeover by the Abu Dhabi royal family,and part of that means beating rival clubs to the hottest young talent,like Kuol,who was recently named as one of the world’s top 250 talents born in 2000 or later by the CIES Football Observatory.
“Garang is a very promising young talent and we are excited that he’ll be continuing his development as a Newcastle United player,” said Newcastle’s sporting director Dan Ashworth. “Our philosophy is to invest in our Academy and in exciting young players for the future,as well as in players required to make an immediate impact in the first team. We wish Garang the best of luck in his remaining games with Central Coast Mariners and we hope to see him on the international stage again very soon.”
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Newcastle’s interest in Kuolwas first reported by theHerald,and they have fought off considerable interest from other big-name clubs to sign him,including Barcelona,Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart. Celtic were also linked with him,and while manager Ange Postecoglou played down any likelihood of a move,the former Socceroos boss - as an avid watcher of the A-League - has kept a close eye on Kuol’s progress.
“We love a next big thing,don’t we? Hopefully,he can handle that,” Postecoglou said.
“He’s a really exciting talent,an exciting young kid in terms of embracing the platform he’s got at the moment. Sometimes in football careers,it’s all about timing. It seems like he’s come to the fore at the right time. If he can keep progressing the way he is and get himself to a World Cup and make an impact there,who knows where he can go?”
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