Newcastle United is currently engaged in talks with two of Ireland's most promising football prospects, as reported by The Irish Examiner
One of these prospects is Cathal Hefferan, who currently plays for Italian side AC Milan. However, it appears that his time in Italy may be coming to an end. The 17-year-old had previously been linked with another Italian club, Hellas Verona, but the Examiner reveals that following a successful trial, he is set to sign with the Premiership club.
The 18-year-old has already featured in two pre-season fixtures for Newcastle United's under-21s. His most recent appearance was in the team's unfortunate defeat at Barrow on Saturday.
Hefferan is a Republic of Ireland youth international and is the son of Rob Heffernan, the Olympian who won bronze in the 2012 Olympics.
Hefferan's journey began with Ringmahon Rangers and in 2019, he signed for Cork City. He made his senior debut for Cork City in the 2021 season and trained with prestigious Italian clubs like Juventus, A.C. Milan, Roma, and Atalanta in March 2021. He turned professional with Cork in June 2021, went on loan to AC Milan in January 2022, and made his debut for Milan's under-18 team shortly after. In May 2022, he made his debut for the under-19 team.
Cathal Heffernan and Kevin Zefi are not heading to Verona!❌
I heard from multiple sources yesterday that Heffernan is set to sign for Newcastle this week and it seems that completely correct.@JFallonExaminer is now reporting that Zefi is likely to join Cathal at Newcastle!🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/DB6Tg1an1F— Rep of Ireland Player Tracker (@reptracker) August 2, 2023
Another prospect Newcastle United is reportedly in talks with is Kevin Zefi from Inter Milan.
Zefi, a Dublin-born youngster of Albanian descent, began his career with Shamrock Rovers, where he played for the Irish club's B team in the League of Ireland First Division.
In the 2020 season, he started his senior career with Shamrock Rovers II in the League of Ireland First Division. At the young age of 15 years and 206 days, he achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the youngest-ever scorer in the League of Ireland. Additionally, he held the title of Shamrock Rovers II's youngest-ever player, a record that stood until 14-year-old Sam Curtis surpassed it in October 2020.
In August 2021, he made a significant move to the prestigious Italian club, Inter Milan. It didn't take long for his talent and skills to become evident, as in December 2021, he further impressed by scoring a hat-trick for Inter's youth team. This remarkable achievement showcased his immense potential and promise for the future.
Notably, during the 2020-21 season, he became the League of Ireland's youngest-ever goalscorer at the remarkably young age of 15 years and 206 days. His exceptional performances have caught the attention of scouts from various clubs across the continents over the years.
