Two Players Who Newcastle United Need To Sign Before The Transfer Deadline Day
Saturday brought some light relief for Rafa Benitez as Newcastle gained their first Premier League win of the season, courtesy of a 3-0 success against West Ham.
It’s hard to know what to make of the performance, given how poor West Ham rather predictably were, though some of Newcastle’s play was incisive and positive and was a joy to watch. That said, no one on Tyneside would be fooled into thinking this squad will survive, as reinforcements are needed.
Rafa has talked candidly with the press about his need for new blood and his disappointment at not having been given what was promised to him in May, by club owner Mike Ashley. That said, he hinted after the game at St. James’s Park that more new players were on their way and I wouldn’t be surprised if these were the two of them:
Kenedy (Chelsea)
The Brazilian, who has just 16 Premier League appearances to his name, could primarily challenge Rolando Aarons and former Chelsea teammate Christian Atsu for a place on the left-wing. However, it must be remembered that he can play as an attacking left-back too.
If brought in for the latter role, then this could be an excellent move from Rafael Benitez, at least in a playing sense. Paul Dummett is an admirable defender and is someone who is well liked by the boss, if less so by a lot of fans. But he does have severe limitations going forward and in the modern game, that will not be accepted by a manager like Rafa.
Kenedy arrived in England from Brazilian club Fluminense with a big reputation but has yet has failed to hit the heights in the Premier League. Furthermore, he is someone who has been plagued by controversy, having been sent home from the Blues’ tour of China this summer, having been seen to insult the country and its people.
It’s this sort of off-the-field behaviour that will concern people in Newcastle and so despite Rafa’s excellent track record with players, the arrival of Kenedy is a definite concern. The Toon have been brought to their knees by big characters in the past, who are the wrong type of character, and it cas be seen as something of the past.
Jota (Brentford)
Brentford’s up and coming Spanish star Jota is once again the subject of Premier League interest and once more, it is from Rafa Benitez and Newcastle.
Jota scored or created a goal every 100 minutes in the Championship last term in what was a real coming of age season and it seems like he is ready for the step up to Premier League level now. The 26-year-old is just beginning to show signs of peaking and now would be the time to step in and sign him for a reasonable price.
As well as getting a close look at Jota when playing in the same league last season, Newcastle may well have asked for and received favourable reviews from Eibar too, a club who they negotiated well with over the transfer of Florian Lejeune recently.