Wanderers have made highly promising young Premier League defender Alex Murphy their second arrival of the January transfer window.
Murphy has joined the Whites on loan from Newcastle United for the remainder of the season and takes number three in Ian Evatt’s squad.
The 20-year-old, who was on the bench for Newcastle’s recent FA Cup third-round tie following a couple of previous appearances in the Premier League, will add competition and an extra option to the left-hand side of Wanderers’ defence for the closing months of the campaign as the Whites look to close in on League One’s top six.
Manager Ian Evatt said: “He’s a young player we have tracked for a long time. He’s been in and around Newcastle’s squad and been on the bench a lot.
“He’s an international footballer who will give us flexibility, who can play centre-back, wing-back or full-back with an eye on us having the option to potentially change shape in the future.
“We’re really happy to have him here as someone we believe has the potential to go on and become a very good player. We’re always looking to bring in players we think can help us improve and he will give us some good options moving forwards.”
Murphy – a technically proficient, athletic defender who is comfortable on the ball in a number of positions – joined Newcastle from hometown club Galway United in July, 2022 after making a first-team debut for the League of Ireland club at the age of 16.
Initially linking up with United’s U21 squad, the defender has since graduated to Eddie Howe’s senior set-up, featuring in a number of pre-season games and twice appearing from the bench in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season.
The Republic of Ireland U21 international then signed a new long-term contract at St James’ Park at the end of that season and after being a regular part of United’s squad again this term – as well as featuring in PL2 and the EFL Trophy – has been given the go-ahead to join Wanderers to add to his first-team experience and further his development.
Murphy, whose arrival follows the signing of attacking midfielder Joel Randall earlier this month, said: “I've been around the first team at Newcastle for maybe a year and a bit now, so I've learned a lot from them and training with the first team.
“It's been great, but I think finally now is the right time to go out and play first-team minutes because that's where you prove yourself, against men in this league, so I'm delighted to be here with a chance to show what I can do.
“It’s a massive step for me to get to a club like this and show what I can do for the rest of this season and hopefully show that I'm ready when I go back to play in the Premier League, which is obviously my aim.
“I think I'll get tested in this league, which is what I want. I want to show people that I'm ready for the test and ready to go back to Newcastle and play but I want to do my best here and show the fans that I'm here for the moment and what I can do for the rest of this season.
“I saw the game here at the weekend and hadn’t really realised how big the stadium is. It’s a massive club which should definitely be at least in the Championship, if not the Prem. I think that's the aim and what everyone should be aiming for. There's pressure on but I think we'll enjoy that pressure.”
Watch the full interview with new loan signing Alex Murphy on Wanderers TV.