Newcastle United are going through rough times as uncertainty is looming large over the club and their speculated takeover. However, that cannot be the reason for the management not to delve themselves in the transfer market and according to recent reports, they have identified a new target.
The Northern Echo states that the club will try to sign midfielder Arnaud Lusamba from France after it was announced that his time with Nice would come to an end. The Magpies head of recruitment was called to make a list of their potential targets, and Lusamba has featured in that list.
The report further says that Newcastle are not the only club trying to sign the player, with Leicester City and Crystal Palace also vying for the signature of the player. Further, it goes on to say that he would be considered as a replacement for Matty Longstaff, who is attracting interests from Italy.
Who is Arnaud Lusamba?
The young man joined Nancy as a youth and from there graduated into the reserves team in 2014. After plying his trade for the B side for two years, he was promoted to the first team. Soon Lusamba made his debut for the senior side and made a mark for the team in the second tier of French football.
Nice came calling in 2016, and he joined the side in the summer. Arnaud Lusamba also spent a season in Belgium playing for Cercle Brugge and made 25 appearances for the side. He has also played for different youth levels of the French national team, although he is yet to make an appearance for the senior side.
What would he bring to Newcastle United?
The Tyneside club can use the versatility of the French man as he is capable of playing both as a central-midfielder or in an attacking position. This season he has played 15 times in the league and scored once while creating two assists. Mostly, he has been utilised in a deep-lying role and playing at that slot; he has completed 84.8% of his total passes. The fact that the youngster has made 1.2 key passes on average per match highlights that he has been involved in his team’s forward forays often. His creativity is also noteworthy as he has completed 1.3 dribbles on an average per 90 minutes in the Ligue 1.
Should Newcastle United bring him to England?
The report says that the club are trying to bring in Lusamba as a replacement of the younger of the Longstaff brothers. As we have discussed a few days back, the Englishman is at best a Championship level player, and thus the Toon would not lose much in terms of quality if he departs.
The same can be stated about the Ligue 1 player as so far he has only shown that the club cannot bank upon his services consistently. Instead of offering him a new contract, Nice are letting him go for free, and that demonstrates the lack of quality of the player. We are sceptical about the impact that he would be able to make in the Premier League, which is far more competitive than Ligue 1 and therefore Newcastle United must stay away from this deal.
Stats from Whoscored.
