Why Lallana to Newcastle could be a good move for both parties
The Telegraph suggests that Newcastle United are keen on signing Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana in January.
The former England international, whose contract at Anfield is set to expire this summer, has attracted the interest of Steve Bruce’s Newcastle, who are currently struggling in the league.
Having lost four of their last five Premier League games, manager Bruce’s side are not in the best of places, slipping to 13th in the table. They are just five points clear of the relegation zone and any more slipups could seriously dampen their hopes of a top-10 finish.
That said, Bruce is in pursuit of some new faces, who could give the squad some extra quality and depth in order to end such inconsistency, the report added.
An established central midfielder remains Bruce’s top priority and the experienced Lallana is one such target. Lallana has fallen down the pecking order under Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, making just 9 appearances in the league this season.
Lallana, who joined the Reds from Southampton in the summer of 2014, was a regular in his first two seasons at Anfield but seems to have lost his starting place in recent times.
With teammates Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Georginio Wijnaldum and Naby Keita being preferred ahead of him, Lallana has been warming the benches.
The attacking midfielder has made over 170 appearances for the Merseyside club and has scored 22 goals and provided as many assists since his switch from the Saints.
A talented midfielder, Lallana was brought by Liverpool after his impressive displays for his boyhood club, where he scored 59 goals and 48 assists in 261 matches. However, he suffered a hamstring injury in the 2017-18 season which saw him miss most of the Reds’ campaign that year.
Since then, Lallana, who was a Reds regular earlier, has found it difficult to establish a name for himself in the first-team that has as many as 7 midfielders in its ranks at the moment.
Bruce’s Newcastle, on the other hand, have nine midfielders, and the club is desperate to offload some of its out-of-favour players such as midfielders Ki Sung-yeung, Jack Colback and Henri Saivet, the report claims.
With the trio rarely featuring at all this season, it’s no big surprise the Magpies are interested in someone new. Moreover, all three are nearing their thirties and look way past their prime.
This has led to Bruce opting to go with his side’s younger talents. However, despite being selected often, the youngsters have failed to put up a consistent show, which has seen them slip to mid-table.
They have netted just 20 goals so far from their 21 league matches – a clear reflection of the side’s inexperience and lack of creativity.
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With the team looking seemingly clueless in the middle, Bruce needs an established midfielder in the likes of Lallana in order to end the season on a good note.
Verdict
Lallana, having proven his mettle earlier, could offer Newcastle the creativity which they surely miss at the moment.
Moreover, Lallana would be keen to prove a point after being restricted to the sidelines for so long, which in turn could be used to good effect by Newcastle. Hence, by all means, Lallana’s signing would be a win-win for both parties if such a deal occurs.