Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has placed Dutch forward Siem De Jong’s future at the club in doubt after saying that he is concerned by the size of the Magpies’ squad when responding to questions about the 27 year old’s future at the club.
The Attacking midfielder has been sidelined with a hamstring injury in preseason, and is the latest in a long line of injuries since he joined the club two years ago. When questioned about De Jong by the Shields Gazette, Benitez replied:
“It depends. I was talking with him (on Friday). The first thing is to see if he can be fit. I have no doubt about his quality. He’s a player that can help a lot in some games because of his quality and experience. But at the same time, he’s like some other players … we have a lot of players at the moment. “I want to be sure we have enough, but not too many.”
De Jong is believed to be a week away from full fitness and has been involved in light training, but with the end of the transfer window fast approaching, decision time regarding the Dutchman’s future is getting closer. If he recovers and performs well, Benitez may opt to keep him and use him in a number 10 role to help the side create more chances up front. If he doesn’t perform, the Spaniard may want to offload the player in order to make room for new signings. The Evening Chronicle believes the Magpies want two forward signings before the 31st August.
