Newcastle United should keep tabs on this teenager that Zlatan endorsed

While Newcastle United should be primarily focused on the present and surviving this season, the club must keep an eye towards the future, too. There is a teenager that was endorsed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic that could be a prized prospect for the Magpies.

Currently playing in the same league that developed Miguel Almiron, LA Galaxy’s Efrain Alvarez should be on Newcastle United’s radar.

The 18-year-old midfielder is a creative midfielder that has already shown flashes of his playmaking ability in Major League Soccer. In 30 matches played, he has five assists and one goal, largely in a substitute role.

While playing for the Galaxy alongside Alvarez, Zlatan lauded how naturally gifted the teenager is and how special he can be. Of course, the legendary Swedish striker would be complimentary of his teammate, but his praise of Alvarez went above and beyond being kind and supportive.

This teenager was endorsed by Zlatan and should be on Newcastle United’s radar.

Before breaking into the first team, Alvarez burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old back in 2018 while playing for the LA Galaxy II in the American second division. He was named the Young Player of the Year in the USL Championship as he scored 12 goals and added three assists in 17 matches.

Recently, Alvarez has been in the news as both the United States and Mexican national teams are battling for the dual-national player to represent them on the senior level. He has spent time in camp with both teams, also playing well for the Mexican youth national teams in the past.

In recent years, MLS has done well to send talented young players to clubs across Europe. Alvarez could be one of the next players to make that move and Newcastle United would be wise to put themselves in position to add the talented playmaker.