The Daily Mail has recently provided an update on Newcastle United‘s pursuit of Arsenal defender Rob Holding this summer. It is believed that the Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has pulled the plug on the English centre-back’s potential loan move to join the Magpies during this summer transfer period (via The Daily Mail).
Holding’s Impressive Form In English Football Recently
The 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the FA Community Shield final triumph over Liverpool in the tail end of last month. It seems like Holding’s performance that day has helped him get involved in Arteta’s plans for the new season which has now all but ruled Newcastle out of a move for him in this off-season.
The Stalybridge-born defensive ace appeared in 23 matches for the North London club in the previous campaign, scoring one goal and picking up three yellow cards in various competitions. On the defensive end, the English centre-half ended the season averaging 0.5 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 5.4 clearances per game in the Premier League last term. He was also quite tidy when distributing possession out from the back as evident from his pass completion rate of 87.2% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Holding has settled into the London club quite well and will fancy his chances of making a good impression at the English capital in the upcoming campaign. However, it won’t be easy for him as he will face some added competition from William Saliba, Pablo Mari and Gabriel Magalhaes at the Emirates Stadium in the coming years.
What Are The English Defender’s Best Attributes?
Holding has transformed himself into a solid defensive presence at the heart of Arteta’s backline. He has made a habit of coming to his team’s rescue by making over five clearances in league football last season. The English centre-back has also got the strength to win a few important headers when being bombarded by the opposition’s crosses inside his penalty box. However, he can sometimes lack concentration and is prone to making a few errors at the back, which can make him a liability on the field.
Missing Out On Holding: Huge Blow For Steve Bruce?
Now that Arteta has changed his stance on Holding, the Tyneside giants will have no choice but to bow out of the chase to land him this summer. Missing out on him will be a big blow for the Magpies as he would have been a great fit for them heading into the new campaign.
Holding would have offered some serious competition for the likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Federico Fernandez, Fabian Schar, Florian Lejeune and Ciaran Clark at St. James’ Park next season. However, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce will now have to look at some of his other defensive targets if he wants to strengthen his squad before the summer transfer window comes to a halt in October.
