OPINION
Newcastle United’s disappointment over missing out on Ryan Fredericks will end up being a blessing one way or another.
Chronicle previously shared that the Magpies were set to try and secure the services of the 25-year-old speed demon upon his Fulham contract expiring at the end of June.
However West Ham on Tuesday, through a statement on their site official website, confirmed that they had won the race to sign Fredericks and that the right-back was set to join them on July 1 after signing a four-year contract.
While the news may prove to be a disappointment to the club and to some of its supporters, it may end up being a blessing as Fredericks isn’t guaranteed to be a success in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old put in some stellar displays during his 48 appearances for Fulham in the 2017/18 season but at times his defensive vulnerability was exposed when he was caught out of position.
Granted there are few faster defenders to be found on the market than Fredericks but speed isn’t everything and the Magpies are capable of finding a right-back just as good if not better.
Especially when you consider the 25-year-old was never deemed good enough to feature in the Premier League previously despite spending several years at Tottenham.
Mark Douglas a journalist at the Chronicle posted an update on the newspaper’s live blog (Tuesday, 17:28) that shows any ill-feeling towards missing out on Fredericks will be fleeting.
The trusted journalist shared that while the Magpies’ interest in the defender was legit, he was only one of many names on Rafa Benitez’s shortlist to find a new right-back.
Douglas also suggested that the big payday the 25-year-old will be getting at the London Stadium would have put the player out of reach and if the Magpies are going to hand out hefty wages it should be to a proven top-flight talent.
This all means that as it stands, or until Frederick’s performances for the Hammers prove otherwise, missing out on his signature that would have taken up a huge chunk of the wage budget will end up a blessing as it stands.
This is the case as Benitez’s clearly has more fishes in the sea to go check out when it comes to the position of right-back and they could easily see the Magpies finished the 2018/19 campaign having the last laugh.
