Newcastle United’s on-loan midfielder Joe White is not just impressing at Crewe – he’s wanted on a longer loan, according to their official site.
White has appeared 15 times for Alex as they look to push up the League Two table. The 21-year-old signed an initial deal until the middle of January and has since turned in a series of impressive performances. He’s certainly caught the eye of manager Lee Bell, who has acknowledged that he wishes to extend the player’s stay until the end of the season.
“Newcastle have been brilliant with us, and we have spoken to them and Joe in the last couple of weeks,” said rookie coach Bell, who took over at Gresty Road in December 2022.
“We’ve given them so really positive feedback, and hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we will have some good news.”
Left-footed White has a goal and an assist to his name for his loan club and has played in a multitude of positions. Most recently, he’s been deployed on the right side of the central midfield, appearing there against Derby in the FA Cup and in wins in the league against Harrogate and Notts County.
He’s also played in a central attacking midfield role and has dropped deeper to play in a central defensive midfield role. His versatility in the middle of the park is a big bonus for the Railwaymen, who are currently fifth in League Two.
The 21-year-old is yet to break into the first-team squad at St James’ Park, but he has appeared seven times for their under-21 side. This is his third loan spell in the EFL; his first came at Hartlepool, where he made nine starts and a further six league appearances from the bench.
He then spent time at another St James’ Park, this time in Exeter. He played 16 times for the Grecians in League One earlier this year, six of those coming as starts, before returning to the Magpies in the summer.
Writer’s View
White has been an important part of Crewe’s push up the table this season, and it’s clear why Lee Bell wants to keep him until the summer.
The move makes sense from Newcastle’s perspective as well. They want their player to be getting regular minutes to help his development. You only have to see how Elliot Anderson did at Bristol Rovers and how he’s pushed on to see the benefits.
The one stumbling block may be the fact Crewe are in League Two. White has already had a League One spell; could it be that Shola Ameobi, the Newcastle loan manager, wants to see his talent try his luck at a higher level?
It’s unlikely, but it’s surely the only thing standing between Crewe and White extending his deal.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief at The Real EFL, Gary is a passionate Lincoln City fan with extensive content creation across the Championship and EFL. He also shares expert football betting tips.
