Newcastle are facing a tremendous crisis in the middle of the park at the moment. Both of their star central midfielders, Mo Diame and Jonjo Shelvey are unavailable at the moment and Benitez has few options as a backup for Isaac Hayden and Colback. Now, with Watford sealing a loan move for Cleverley, Newcastle have to think of something and fast.
James McCarthy
With Morgan Schneiderlin further adding to the Toffees squad, James McCarthy’s position is bound to further go down the pecking order. And Rafa Benitez should definitely make a move for the young and immensely experienced Irish international.
McCarthy has made 319 appearances so far, which is a huge feat for a 26-year-old. Since joining Wigan Athletic in 2009/10, he has played 223 games which include a brief spell in the Championship in 2013/14. He was also a big part of Wigan’s surprise FA Cup win that year. His ability to hold the ball in the middle is commendable and he has garnered a lot of attention for his tremendous concentration in the game. Undoubtedly, he will be a level up for Newcastle United.
Henri Lansbury
Now, he has been a hot prospect for many Championship clubs as well as Premier League clubs this month. And Newcastle are one of the leading clubs queuing up for the Nottingham Forest midfielder. Lansbury is undoubtedly a brilliant midfielder and could make a real impact for the Magpies.
He has scored six goals in 19 appearances this season, including a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Barnsley. He has created 29 chances so far, completing 519 passes with a pass accuracy of 75%, of which 87% were forward passes. In English football, Lansbury has 46 goals and 31 assists in 249 appearances.
With just six months left on his contract and Forest going through a change in the administrative sphere, it will be difficult for them to hold on to their skipper and Benitez should take advantage of the opportunity.
Ben Osborn
Another player for Nottingham Forest, who has massively interested Benitez is Ben Osborn. At 22, Osborn is quite a regular in the Forest first team and has already garnered an impressive 27 appearances for the Championship club this season.
A talented central midfielder, Osborn could achieve greatness under Benitez. He has made over 100 appearances for the Reds and is an England U20 international. He has scored one goal this season, created 57 chances and five assists. He has completed 703 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 79%, of which 59% were forward passes.
