Bitter rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland are battling for the signature of Guiseley talent Josh Stones amid strong interest from other clubs.
That’s according to TEAMtalk, who claim that non-league star Stones is a wanted man ahead of the summer transfer window.
It’s claimed that Newcastle are looking towards Stones as a player for their long-term project, believing the 18-year-old has huge potential.
Other Premier League clubs such as Burnley, Crystal Palace, Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also thought to be interested.
Championship sides Huddersfield Town and Middlesbrough are also keen, with Sunderland hoping to lure him to League One.
Sunderland did manage to win a similar race for Hartlepool United’s Josh Hawkes, but have already sold him on to Tranmere Rovers.
Stones, 18, is featuring regularly for Guiseley in non-league and will now be looking to make a huge step up, possibly to the Premier League.
The likes of Jamie Vardy, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen are great cases of non-league players who have deserved the big rise up the leagues.
Stones will be hoping to go down a similar path to stardom, with a move away from Guiseley seemingly in the pipeline this summer.
Primarily a striker, Stones only has one goal in 11 Vanarama National League North games, but his potential has been shining through.
Newcastle may be going after big names after their takeover, but that doesn’t mean they have to stop looking for bargains lower down the pyramid.
Being a part of that project has to be an exciting prospect for any player, especially one down in non-league.
Sunderland can likely offer a faster path to first-team football though, giving the Black Cats a real chance to secure a transfer coup over their North East enemies.
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