Macclesfield defender Elliott Hewitt could receive an 18th birthday present of a move into the Championship with Town later this week. The Wales U21 international turns 18 on Wednesday with the Blues and Silkmen understood to have agreed an undisclosed fee for the right-back.
Although none of the parties involved have yet confirmed the story which broke over the weekend, Hewitt has hinted on Twitter that he may have more to celebrate than he had been anticipating: "Wonder what I'll get for my 18th, will it be better than expected?”
We understand the Blues, who are believed to have begun talks with the Bodelwyddan-born full-back over the weekend, made regular trips to Moss Rose to monitor Hewitt’s progress until he picked up a hip injury which required surgery and ended his season in March.
Up to then Hewitt had made 19 starts and five sub appearances during 2011/12, having become Macclesfield’s youngest-ever player at 16 years and 342 days on the final day of the previous campaign.
Capped five times by Wales at U21 level in addition to three games for their U17s, Hewitt has previously been linked with Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea.
Meanwhile, TWTD understands the Blues are also showing interest in French-Guinean midfielder Cheick Kourouma. The 19-year-old played in Italy with Genoa CFC Primavera, Genoa’s U20 team, last season, having previously been in Spain with the Real Zaragoza youth set-up and before that French club Sochaux.
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