Newcastle United news: Blackburn Rovers to complete £3m signing of England U21 ace Adam Armstrong from Toon

BLACKBURN ROVERS are set to win the race to sign Adam Armstrong in a £3million deal from Newcastle United.

The England Under-21s star is heading back to Ewood Park after a successful loan spell last season.

Armstrong, 21, was wanted by several Championship clubs after Toon boss Rafa Benitez gave him permission to speak to interested parties.

But the hotshot, who helped the Three Lions to win the U20s World Cup last year, is due to reunite with Tony Mowbray for a third time with the initial fee being £1.75m up front and another potential £1.25m in performance-related add-ons.

Armstrong made his Newcastle debut as a 17-year-old in 2014 but was told by Benitez he could leave earlier this summer.

He spent last season on loan at Bolton before joining Blackburn in January, after previous stints at Coventry under Mowbray and Barnsley.

The Geordie ace has represented his country at every age-group from U16 to U21 level.

Newcastle fans, and most likely the forward himself, will be mystified as to why the homegrown talent was never given a real opportunity with the first-team on Tyneside.

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The club had high hopes for Armstrong after his emergence through the academy but he has only played 21 times for the Magpies.

But now he will be desperate to prove them wrong and repay Mowbray’s faith by reproducing the form he showed for Rovers last season where he bagged nine times to help them win promotion to the Championship.