In a recent report, Het Nieuwsblad mentioned that Newcastle United are among several clubs hoping to land Olympique Lyonnais defender Jason Denayer. It has been revealed that the Magpies could face competition in the form of Barcelona, Juventus and Napoli in pursuit of the Belgian centre-back.
Denayer’s Decent Form In French Football This Season
Denayer has enjoyed a decent season at the Groupama Stadium so far after producing a lot of dominant displays at the heart of Lyon’s backline. The 26-year-old has registered three goals and one assist in 17 matches for the French club this season across multiple competitions.
The Jette-born talent has been a rock at the back for Lyon based on his average of 0.7 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. He has even been excellent when distributing possession from the back as he has completed 93.9% of his attempted passes in the French first division (stats via whoscored).
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Is Denayer The Right Fit For Newcastle United?
Denayer has decent pace under his belt and can make some important recovering runs at the back when needed. He doesn’t take too many risks when clearing his lines at the back and can time his challenges well to earn possession back on the defensive end of the pitch.
The 33-time Belgian international is proving himself to be a solid presence at the back. He is primarily a central defender but can even operate as a right-back or as a defensive midfielder if needed. Hence, Newcastle would do well to win the race for his services.
We can expect Denayer to enhance the quality of Eddie Howe‘s defensive department and could go on to become a regular starter at St. James’ Park next season.
Plus, Denayer could serve as an upgrade over Fabian Schar who has flattered to deceive with his performances for the Magpies of late. With all things considered, the Lyon star will be a decent fit for the Tyneside giants if they manage to get him on board during the summer transfer window.
