Newcastle United, after their promotion to the Premier League, have not been very convincing in their productivity, especially in front of goal. The Toon have collected merely 23 points from 23 league outings and are just 3 points above the relegation zone. If such abjectness in their endeavours persists, they might face dire consequences at the end of the season.
Some sort of resurrection is the call of the hour for Rafael Benitez’s troops to uplift their stature and their position in the league table. With the January transfer window wide open, they must make the necessary additions to their armoury and beef up their squad for the second-half of the season. Considering that there would not be an abundance of cash to work with, Benitez must be absolutely spot-on with his targets.
As per one of the latest reports by The Daily Mail, Newcastle United are in hot pursuit to sign Galatasaray midfielder, Papa Alioune Ndiaye this month. However, they have to meet his buyout clause of £18million to lure him to St. James’ Park. Besides, the likes of Watford, Crystal Palace and Stoke City are also closely monitoring Ndiaye, which implies that it would not be easy for Benitez to sign him.
Ndiaye is a central midfielder by trade and is versatile enough to operate as a central defensive midfielder as well as a central attacking midfielder. So far this season in the Turkish Super Lig, the Senegal international has made 16 appearances, whilst which he has scored 1 goal and also made 2 assists. Defensively speaking, he has made 3.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 0.6 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game on an average.
Ndiaye is a strong tackler and reads the game meticulously and no wonder his stocks are so highly rated. He is a strong midfielder who has garnered plenty of experience whilst playing for the likes of Galatasaray, Osmanlispor, and Bodo/Glimt. Besides, he is an adept dribbler and has the tendency to gallop forward, more often than not, to join his teammates in their attacking endeavours.
Benitez must be looking to add some steel to his midfield and Ndiaye certainly has the calibre to do the needful. The defence of the Magpies has been threatened time and again this season and to address that, the 27-year-old has been placed on their transfer shortlist. However, his lack of experience of the Premier League might be an important element to look into as this is a criterion that most of the English clubs look for before signing a player especially when they are in a position such as Newcastle United.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored