Newcastle United are back where they belong and this summer is expected to be busy for Rafa Benitez with the manager being given a transfer kitty of £70 million.
The Magpies need to strengthen all the areas in order to be well equipped for their resurgence in the Premier League with teams around them also expected to spend big. A big name can settle the nerves of the Toon Army and can prove to be a statement of intent ahead of their comeback campaign.
The club officials have decided to go all out for Swansea City’s Gylfi Sigurdsson who has been one of the best players this season and has grown in stature since his move from Tottenham Hotspur.
The Icelander is in much demand this summer with the likes of Everton and Tottenham Hotspur highly interested in the 27-year old. But Newcastle seems to have made up their mind on the attacker and are willing to shell out close to £20 million in him.
Sigurdsson can be the catalyst for success here at Tyneside and we look at the three reasons why Newcastle United must do everything in their might to sign the Swansea playmaker:
Goals and assists guaranteed
The 27-year old had his most productive season where he scored 13 and assisted 14 more in a side that battled with relegation throughout the campaign.
He has chipped in with goals whenever needed and has also scored in crucial away games against Manchester City and Manchester United. With him in the side, Newcastle’s set pieces are taken care of with Sigurdsson being arguably one of the best in the business currently in England.
His overall contribution in front of the goal is an important aspect for Benitez to take into account as the Magpies must spend whatever Swansea is asking to take him on board. More importantly, with Mitrovic in the side, Sigurdsson can be a dangerous threat every time Newcastle get a set piece.
Experience
The player in focus, Gylfi Sigurdsson, has been playing in the Premier League since 2010 and has accustomed well to the demands. More importantly, the 27-year old has an experience of fighting for the top four places with Tottenham and surviving the drop with the Swans.
Hence, he might be a perfect fit at St. James’ next season to help the team in whatever situation they will be in. Also, Sigurdsson is entering his peak years now and still has a lot to offer.
He has the ability to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world if he maintains his current good run which means that an investment on Sigurdsson who was once described as “a perfect player” by Mauricio Pochettino would be an ideal scenario for Mike Ashley.
Work rate
Gylfi Sigurdsson ran the most distance for an outfield player this season in the Premier League. That’s an interesting statistic to take into consideration as playmakers/attacking midfielders are not generally included in the list of high work rate players.
Sigurdsson is a rare breed and Rafa Benitez would love to have a player of this calibre in his first team. Against the big teams, Benitez will look to play on the counter and during that phase, Sigurdsson can be of immense help during the transition.