Newcastle’s highly rated left back Jose Enrique is still keeping his cards close to his chest with regards to his future on Tyneside. The Spaniard has reportedly generated interest from Liverpool, AC Milan and Bayern Munich and would fetch the Magpies in excess of £10 million if he was to leave the club. Enrique has been a consistent performer for the Toon Army this season and he continued his impressive displays with another man of the match performance yesterday in the 2-2 draw Chelsea.
Enrique is a fan favourite among the Toon Army, but after stating earlier this season he would sign a new contract, once survival was assured, the former Villarreal man is still no closer to putting pen to paper on a new deal. The player has already shown considerable loyalty to Newcastle once in his career by sticking by the club in their Championship campaign. However I get a sense that the prospect of starting a new chapter is playing on Enrique’s mind. So should Newcastle cash in on the player this summer if he refuses to sign a new deal?
Losing a player of Enrique’s calibre would be a loss to Newcastle’s defensive unit and he also has a great understanding with Jonas Gutierrez. His composure on the ball and galloping runs down the left wing have been a constant threat to opposition defences this season, but could Newcastle cope without him? As much as I rate Enrique and wouldn’t want to see him leave, if the player is not 100% committed to Newcastle and the club stand to make a tidy investment on a player who is nearing the end of his contract, maybe a transfer would be the best option for both parties.
After selling Andy Carroll earlier this season there were fears that Newcastle would become a selling club and some of their stars aired their concerns immediately after his sale. Therefore if Enrique was to move on this summer it raises the question as to whether it would unsettle other players at the club. It appears that Enrique is the one holding all the aces in this situation, as if he wants to sign a new contract Newcastle will jump at the chance, but if he wants to move on it looks to be out of Newcastle’s hands unless they want to risk losing him on the cheap next season.
So should Newcastle do all they can to keep hold of their Spanish left back or is it time to take the money and let him move on?
Written by Tom MacGregor
