OPINION
At the start of the season, it would have been hard for a Newcastle United fan to envision DeAndre Yedlin being ousted from the right-back spot.
They would have been completely justified in that decision, though. Yedlin’s speed and ability to get forward are just some of the attributes that makes him a great player.
However, in recent times, his defensive duties have let him down slightly, something which has meant that he has had to pass the baton on to Javier Manquillo for a number of games. All in all, his consistency has been one of his major flaws lately.
Rafa Benitez is no doubt looking to strengthen in a few areas this summer – if he stays as manager – and right-back should definitely be one of the positions to prioritise. Manquillo has proved that cover is needed or the team could be very exposed.
According to France Football in January, Newcastle were interested in signing Strasbourg right-back Kenny Lala. Just like Yedlin, the 27-year-old is pretty good in attack, and this is a player that the club needs to provide some competition for the United States international – at the moment, he is not getting that.
Lala has also proved that he can be a goal threat, as he has scored four goals from right-back this season – and his creativity has amounted in a total of ten assists too. So far, so good.
Yedlin’s progress is at risk of being halted if he does not have someone hot on his heels pushing for a starting place – for a long time, he has not really been challenged, something which has resulted in his standards dropping slightly.
That would be all over in a flash if Benitez completed a masterstroke for the French mainstay. He has racked up an impressive 33 appearances this season, which is just the experience Rafa needs.
