OPINION
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez – if he stays – will be keen to add some more quality to his team to try to push them on into the top half of the Premier League table.
One player who would add a few goals and much creativity to the Magpies is Everton playmaker Nikola Vlasic. Futaa reported on Monday that Newcastle are interested in the 21-year-old, who Football Insider claimed recently wants to leave the Toffees.
Now, the Geordies would surely erupt if the club pull off this swoop. Vlasic is a tremendous footballer who came on leaps and bounds during a loan spell with Russian giants CSKA Moscow this season.
He scored eight goals and grabbed seven assists from midfield this term, with three of his strikes coming in just six Champions League group games – that is an indication that this guy has the ability to make an impact at the top level.
He is a classy operator who can score goals as well as providing them for his teammates. Benitez doesn’t really have a quality number 10 at his disposal at the moment. He’s got Ayoze Perez and Miguel Almiron who create chances, but they’re not traditional playmakers.
Vlasic doesn’t want to be at Everton, but he would be a regular with the Magpies, there’s no doubt about that. Plus, midfield is likely going to be an area of need for Benitez this summer.
The Croatian is so young that he’s only going to get better in the years to come, which is something that fits with the Newcastle board’s current recruitment policy as well.
So he ticks a number of boxes, both on the pitch and off it. What’s not to like? Rafa, sign him up.
