Newcastle plotting move for Brighton academy manager John Morling

Newcastle are plotting another approach to Brighton, this time for their academy manager John Morling.

Newcastle have been successful in their attempts to prise technical director Dan Ashworth and defender Dan Burn away from the Seagulls.

Ashworth will become Newcastle’s new director of football when he finishes his lengthy notice period after resigning from his role at The Amex.

The Magpies have already prised Dan Ashworth (left) and Dan Burn (right) away from the Amex

Burn joined his boyhood club in a £13million deal last month.

And highly-rated academy chief Morling could follow Ashworth and Burn to St James’s Park if he too can be obtained.

Following their Saudi takeover which has made them the richest club in the world Newcastle are planning to overhaul every area of the club to give them departments befitting their new status.

Ashworth will lead that process and, in a further reflection of the quality of staff Brighton possess, Morling has been earmarked as a potential candidate for a key role in Newcastle’s academy setup.

Former Brighton defender Burn joined his boyhood club in a £13million deal last month

Morling joined Brighton in 2012 and has been a central figure in their improvement and growth at academy level, the club being granted Category One status and earned himself a growing reputation for developing first-team and international-quality players.

He has helped oversee the progress of the likes of Ben White, Robert Sanchez, Steven Alzate, Jeremy Sarmiento, Aaron Connolly, Solly March and Jayson Molumby.

Teenage Irish striker Evan Ferguson is among the latest, highly-rated academy products to progress into Graham Potter’s senior squad.

Midfielder Matthias Normann – now at Norwich – was first brought to England by Brighton during Morling’s time in charge.

Morling has helped oversee the progress of the likes of Ben White, Robert Sanchez (pictured), Steven Alzate, Jeremy Sarmiento, Aaron Connolly, Solly March and Jayson Molumby

And Brighton’s current academy crop have made history this season by reaching the last-eight of the FA Youth Cup for only the second time and will meet Wolves later this month.

Morling was a former youth player at Norwich before starting his career in development as a youth coach at Peterborough aged 19.

He then went on to work for the Irish FA as player development manager and then manager of their Under 16s and 17s.