Newcastle United announced on Tuesday that current manager Rafa Benitez will be leaving the club after his contract expires at the end of the month, bringing an end to his three-year spell at Tyneside.
The Premier League side could have new owners if the Bin Zayed Group complete the deal to take over Newcastle United, but little or no progress has been made on that front.
The Magpies have been linked with a few managers, with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Mikel Arteta among many. The most recent manager to throw his hat in the Newcastle United managerial race is former France and Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc.
The report by Daily Star states that the Frenchman is keen on becoming the next Newcastle United manager.
Blanc hasn’t been in management for three years with his last spell being the PSG manager between 2013 and 2016, prior to which he managed France and Bordeaux.
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The former Manchester United and Barcelona defender has won Ligue 1 four times as manager, thrice with PSG, and once with Bordeaux, which was the first time that the club had won the league in a decade.
Despite completing the domestic treble in France in his last season with PSG, Blanc left the Parisian club in mutual agreement with the board, mainly due to their quarter-final exit from the Champions League that season.
Would Blanc be a good fit for Newcastle United?
Blanc has had success in both his club jobs – first at Bordeaux, where he won the league in the 2008-09 season, and then with PSG, where he won the league in all three years of his spell at the club.
The Frenchman is a manager who prefers a 4-3-3 system, with emphasis on building from the back and quick passing.
At PSG, Blanc had a huge transfer kitty which allowed him to buy quality players and win the French league even before the season started. But, that won’t be the case at Newcastle United, where owner Mike Ashley is notorious for not splashing the cash on players.
With no news regarding the change of ownership, Newcastle United’s worst fears could come true if Ashley does stay in charge of the club and continue to not back the manager.
Blanc could be a good fit for Newcastle, but there is a possibility of him not delivering results if the Magpies don’t sign new players.