Newcastle United earned themselves a berth in the Premier League campaign of the upcoming season by not only securing an automatic promotion spot but by doing it in the grandest manner as they clinched the Championship silverware. Rafael Benitez masterminded the upward trajectory which the Magpies successfully manoeuvred and before they lock horns against the elite clubs of the country, Benitez has to ensure that he has the requisite armoury at his disposal to face the animosity which the English top flight would have on offer, like it always does.
Bolstering the central defensive slot is believed to be one of the areas given paramount importance by the former Napoli boss in order to strengthen the spine of his setup and to make sure that they do not wither like a house of cards like the way they did last time they plied their trade in the top tier. The element of competition for getting a place in the starting line-up shall be crucial as that would enhance the productivity of the players such as Ciaran Clark, Grant Hanley, Jamaal Lascelles and Chancel Mbemba and apparently, reports have surfaced that the Geordies are nearing a deal to lure Eibar’s centre-back Florian Lejeune to St. James’ Park with the involvement of a transfer fee of £8.7million.
Lejeune was signed by Eibar last summer from Premier League heavyweights Manchester City and ever since his move to Ipurua Municipal Stadium, he has enjoyed quite a fruitful season with the Spanish club who finished tenth in the La Liga campaign which just concluded. The Toons have a perennial inclination of signing quality French players and Lejeune doesn’t beg to differ. In 34 appearances in the Spanish top division, the 26-year-old mustered 1 goal, 1 assist and registered 1.3 tackles, 2.1 interceptions, 5.6 clearances and 0.6 blocks per game on an average and his consistent run of form has drawn him a lot of admirers from the football fraternity.
While tackling isn’t one of his strongest suits, the Frenchman nullifies that by being an excellent reader of the game, excels aerially, is a calm and composed customer in the backline and takes proactive measures to clear the dangers to save the blushes of his employers. Besides, he has been handsomely consistent and his well-structured frame enables him in not refraining from getting into intense physical battles. He might not bring Premier League experience but he does have the calibre of a fine central defender and could be hugely beneficial to enhance the morale of the black and white crops.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
