After failing to sign him in the summer of 2017, Newcastle United boss, Rafa Benitez might look to put in another offer for Andreas Samaris in January. The Greek defensive midfielder was Newcastle’s number 1 target before the start of the season. They were ready to smash the club transfer record and pay around 18 million pounds for the 28-year-old.
But somehow the transfer fell through even after agreeing to personal terms with the club. According to reports, Samaris’s contract stated a 4 year deal with a wage of 40,000 pounds weekly. However, the price most probably will be lowered with Benfica now eager to offload the player from their books.
Andreas Samaris is mainly known for his defensive abilities in the form of interceptions and tackling around the centre circle of the pitch. He also has a keen vision to find the right man up front. The midfielder had fielded other offers from Premier League clubs too and had almost joined Sunderland in the January of the 2016-2017 season.
Therefore, fair conclusions can be drawn that Samaris is motivated to move up the career ladder and start playing the Premier League.
Newcastle United knew that they needed a strong core group of players to face the new season in top-flight English football. Their ambitions lie in placing in the top half of the table rather than fighting a relegation battle by the end of the season.
They are currently sitting in the 15th spot of the Premier League table with 10 points behind Burnley, who are in the 7th spot. They are about to face a difficult month of December with a gruelling schedule with Leicester at home next weekend. Bringing in an experienced talent like Andreas Samaris will help Benitez solidify the midfield alongside the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Mohamed Diame, Isaac Hayden and Mikel Moreno.
Andreas Samaris has had a less influential role for Benfica in the 2017-2018 season with only 12 appearances and 1 goal. As a 28-year-old supposed to be at the peak of his career, Samaris is looking towards the prospect of regular appearances on the pitch.
Benitez is eagerly waiting for the January transfer window to add some more quality to the current squad to survive a relegation battle by the end of the season.
However, all the potential transfers are top names from prestigious clubs and may cost the club a decent amount of money, which will be hard to get from owner Mike Ashley. Benitez will have to work with the resources he does have to get the right player and provide depth to the current squad.
