Newcastle United are being linked with a move for Montpellier’s Moroccan midfielder Younes Belhanda.
According to TribalFootball.com, Newcastle’s Chief Scout Graham Carr, who is a regular visitor to France and watches a lot of Ligue 1 action, is tracking Belhanda very closely.
However, it is a thought that a move will only be made for the Moroccan international if Newcastle are forced to part with their star midfielder Yohan Cabaye in January.
Younes Belhanda is just 22-years-old but has already made quite an impact across the border in French football.
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Belhanda has been at Montpellier since 2003, playing senior football for the last three seasons, and has made over 100 appearances for the French champions.
He played a key part in the club’s title-winning season last year, having been given the number 10 shirt and operating in the playmaker position, he netted 12 goals and made 4 assists in 28 Ligue 1 appearances.
The position change has seen Belhanda’s influence on matches increase significantly and is the role he is undertaking against Schalke in the Champions League tonight.
French-born, Belhanda has featured 15 times for Morocco and scored his only international goal against Niger in the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of the year.
However, Morocco are up against it to qualify for next year’s competition, losing the first leg of their qualifier to Mozambique 2-0.
One problem could be that Belhanda is valued in excess of £10 million due to skills like this:
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Another Ben Arfa perhaps?
Cracking player and great montage, but I don’t see us shelling out £10m on any player unless we loose a Cabaye or Tiote for £20m – and I don’t see that happening either.