A major update has emerged on Newcastle United's pursuit of Charlie McArthur in the summer transfer window...
What's the talk?
The Telegraph's Mike McGrath has revealed that the Magpies are on the verge of signing the youngster as Dan Ashworth closes in on his second piece of business since arriving at the club.
He has already secured the services of Matt Targett on a permanent basis and is now looking to bolster the academy set-up.
McGrath Tweeted: "Newcastle are close to completing deal for Kilmarnock centre-back Charlie McArthur. Scotland youth international seen as huge prospect but sources at his club say it is difficult to stand in way when youngster is targeted by a Premier League club."
Eddie Howe will be buzzing
The Toon head coach will be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.
Firstly, he will be excited by McArthur's potential and will be looking forward to seeing him develop in the coming years.
Kilmarnock dubbed him their "rising academy star" and he has previously been linked with both Manchester City and Liverpool. This shows that he has caught the eye of both sides of the border and has done enough to convince two of the best teams in the country to take an interest in him.
The gem has captained Scotland at U17 level on ten occasions and made his debut for his club at the age of 16 - making four appearances for Kilmarnock in total to date.
These achievements show that he has made incredible progress at such a young age as he has become a leader amongst his peers for his country and he has been fast-tracked to the first team at club level.
He, therefore, is a promising young player with the scope to develop in the future and Howe will be buzzing to help him to fulfil his potential in the years to come at St. James' Park.
The Magpies coach will also be delighted by this deal as it shows that Ashworth is thinking about the long-term as well as the here and now. He is not willing to go all out on experienced, first-team, options with no view to how the team will look in five or six years and this shows that he has a proactive approach that will help the club build for the future.
This will allow Howe to plan what he wants his side to look like in the long-term and allow him to make strategic signings with a view to progressing the club, which is why he will be buzzing with this swoop for a 'huge prospect'.