Newcastle United were unlucky to get relegated a season before but they just took one year to move back to the Premier League, having lifted the domestic league title in the second tier English domestic competition last season.
Rafa Benitez, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager, helped achieve a commendable feat last season but he will not have it that easy in the Premier League, as they will find it hard to even break into the first half of the points table next season.
So Benitez has been looking at some quality stars to make sure that they can compete with the best in the upcoming campaign and the latest name linked with a move to the club is Lucas Vasquez.
Transfer story
According to a respected journalist in Spain, Rafa Benitez is keen on raiding Spain for players for his club in England and has been looking at the fringe Real Madrid player for a move this summer. It is understood that Real Madrid are willing to let go of him this summer, as they are looking to add some quality to the first team, and might be willing to let the Magpies lure the 26-year old to their club this summer.
Who is Vasquez?
Born and brought up in Curtis, Spain, the attacking midfielder is a product of the Real Madrid academy but only moved into the senior side under Rafa Benitez, who brought him back from a loan spell from Espanyol and ever since, he has been impressive in almost every game he got to play in white.
A right winger by trait, the 26-year old is known for his creativity in the final third. With excellent dribbling and even better passing abilities, Vasquez is a tricky player who is hard to keep down and his skill set is something most teams will want in their armoury. At 26, he is still going to improve but his ability to defend and win balls in the air will always be a liability for a club playing in England.
He has 23 assists and nine goals in 91 La Liga appearances in his career and is now looking for a club that can provide plenty of game time and the St James’ Park could be a decent destination.
A blessing for Newcastle
The Magpies saw Dwight Gayle shoulder most of the goal scoring responsibilities last season while Ayoze Perez, Matt Ritchie and Aleksandar Mitrovic are all options in his place. But they do lack a genuine winger who can add goals from a wide area and Vasquez can walk into this role next season.
At 26, Vasquez has 17 UCL appearances and three international appearances for Spain, making him a decently established star in Europe and could be a sensational coup for Newcastle United, who can easily break into the top half with players like him in their squad.