Why Newcastle United must make a move for Danny Drinkwater in January
Danny Drinkwater is in no rush to leave Chelsea in January, despite not being in Maurizio Sarri’s plans, according to the Telegraph.
The 28-year-old has not even been named in a matchday squad this season and has also been left out of the Europa League squad by Sarri. He did not make the bench for the Carabao Cup victory over Liverpool either.
Chelsea were keen to get Drinkwater off the books in the summer but a permanent deal could not be arranged before the transfer window shut. Should Drinkwater change his mind and decide to leave Stamford Bridge in January, Newcastle United must pounce on him.
Newcastle United have made a disappointing start to the new season and find themselves at 18th place on the Premier League table. The Magpies are winless so far, with their latest defeat coming at the hands of Leicester City last weekend.
These are worrying times for Rafael Benitez as his Newcastle side look drained of confidence playing a hopelessly blunt brand of football. The Magpies finished 10th in May, but all the momentum has been lost. After a solid 2017/18 season, Newcastle did not spend big in the summer.
Newcastle’s reluctance to go big financially is showing up now as they are finding it difficult to challenge the teams in the Premier League this season. Benitez remains the right man for the job and he has to find a way to arrest the mess that Newcastle are in right now but come January, Ashley has to loosen his purse strings to back his manager.
That being said, a player of Drinkwater’s quality could make a massive difference at Newcastle. Just one season after winning the Premier League with Leicester City, Drinkwater got his dream move to Chelsea last summer but it quickly turned into a nightmare as he managed just five starts last season.
The 28-year-old now finds himself way down the pecking order under Sarri and his chances of game time at Stamford Bridge looks bleaker than ever.
Drinkwater’s time is up at Chelsea and he could do a good job by moving to St. James’ Park. The Englishman combines a relentless work rate with excellent distribution and tackling skills, which make him a perfect fit for Benitez’s style of play.
The 28-year-old alongside Jonjo Shelvey or Ki Sung-Yueng would give Newcastle enough quality in the midfield and would help the club reach their ambitions this season. It’s his versatility and strength in both the defence and the attack, which would make him a valuable asset for the Magpies.
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Hence, Newcastle must pursue Drinkwater and get a deal done in January as he ticks many boxes as an all-round player.