Scottish giants Celtic have reportedly been beaten to the signing of young Irish defender Alex Murphy. This is according to the report from the stables of RTE Sport which stated that Newcastle United have beaten Celtic and a host of other clubs to the signing of the Galway United star. It was reported that Celtic have missed out on the player to Premier League outfit Newcastle United. In addition to Newcastle United and Celtic, Murphy has also be linked with Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion and Italian Serie A outfit Torino.

Murphy, 17, is expected to leave Galway United in the second tier of Irish football to sign for Newcastle United who are the new moneybags in the Premier League. He has made seven appearances for Galway United this season. Young Murphy is expected to join Newcastle United when he turns 18 in June.