Newcastle United might have earned a ticket back to the Premier League in the grandest of manners by leapfrogging past Brighton & Hove Albion right at the ultimate game week of the Sky Bet Championship and clinching the second tier silverware, but they know that they have to deal with humungous hostility next season as they lock horns with the elites of the country. Rafael Benitez masterminded the entire procedure and it goes without saying that he would have to ensure that the Magpies stay in the rendezvous zone next season and do not succumb like they did a season back.
Making shrewd signings over the course of the summer transfer window shall hold the key in dictating the whereabouts of the black and white crops next in the upcoming season and one of the key areas to bolster would be their defensive line. Werder Bremen’s defender, Luca Caldirola was one of the players to have been linked with a move to St. James’ Park earlier this month and it is about time for them to renew their interest over the 26-year-old who has had to deal with horrendous spells with injuries which saw his value getting diluted rapidly.
Caldirola ticks a lot of boxes for a quality defender with his versatility of playing in the left-back slot, despite being a central defender, being one of the most potent attributes he has on offer. Tall, well built and technically sound, the former Italy Under-21 skipper is quite resounding in the air, reads the game in a meticulous fashion and has proved to be a capable player in Bundesliga. Having had to deal with injuries time and again, the former Inter Milan defender has found very little opportunities of late and should be looking for a new endeavour in the upcoming season.
Coincidentally, the Toons are to be short of personnel for the left-back slot as Achraf Lazaar is believed to make an exit in the summer owing to the dearth of game time he received during the season which just concluded, which implies that Paul Dummett is seemingly likely to be the only option to be left for Benitez. Besides, the fact that Caldirola’s contract expires at the end of this month, and thus, it would not involve plenty of risks as well. For the player, a move to St. James’ Park should be a tempting one, for he would get the chance to play in arguably the most appealing league in the world.
