Newcastle United have a chance to bring former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel back to the Premier League as they look to solidify the backline for next season. Skrtel currently plies his trade in the Turkish League with Fenerbahce and the 33-year-old Slovakian warhorse has been linked with a move away from them as he is entering into the last year of his contract.
There were strong rumours of him being wanted by Rangers and that would have given him a chance to play under his former captain Steven Gerrard. However, the fact that the Gers might be unable to meet his salary demands would be enough to end their hopes of signing him which brings the Magpies into the race.
Rafael Benitez’s side managed to finish in the top half of the table and that can be considered as a huge achievement as they were in the Championship just a season back. The Spanish mastermind will like to continue to take this team forward and the signing of Martin Skrtel can be a good one as he has got an immense amount of experience in the Premier League.
However, his game dropped considerably in the latter stage of his Liverpool career and Newcastle fans shouldn’t expect him to start week in week out in the heart of the defence.
The Slovakian international is known for his bravery and his aerial abilities. He is often strong in his challenges and could be classified as a no-nonsense defender. His team Fenerbahce missed out on the league title by three points this season. Skrtel went on to make 30 appearances in all competitions and was a vital part of their defensive backline.
It will be interesting to see whether Skrtel will be able to cope up with the demands of English football as in his later years with Liverpool, he was a shadow of his past. The Toon have preferred Florian Lejeune and Jamaal Lascelles as their regular centre-back pairing and the two have done exceedingly well.
Lascelles went on to win Newcastle’s player of the season for his heroics during this campaign and he had an outside chance of being picked for the World Cup in the England squad. However, he missed out on the plane to Russia.
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Skrtel will most likely be a squad player at St. James’ Park and having an experienced bloke like him will certainly improve the team’s bench and will bring in competition for places.
