With the imminent arrival of Newcastle United’s newest left back, Achraf Lazaar, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to see what a Palermo expert had to say about him. @PerennialPundit has been kind enough to lend us his expertise about Lazaar, so let’s get to it.

1) What are Lazaar’s biggest strengths/weaknesses?

Lazaar is a hard worker with decent pace and good crossing. He was  one of the few chance creators in a poor Palermo side. He may be considered a tad light weight, but I don’t think that’s a big issue.

2) What positions can he play in?

He’s primarily a left wingback in a 3-5-2 formation, but with his skill-set can easily play as a left back in a back four or a left winger in a midfield four.

3) Is £2m a fair price?

£2m is not only a fair price but a bargain at that, considering the current state of the market. He was one of the more consistent left backs in the Serie A, so United have done well to land him at that price.

4) How has he fared overall in the Serie A?

He’s been very good the last two and a half seasons in Italy’s top flight with Palermo. His performances have in recent times caught the attention of the Milan clubs, as well as West Ham. So you’d have to say he’s highly regarded by a lot of European clubs.

5) Do you think he’d be good enough for the Premier League?

In my opinion he’s ready for the PL now, but a year in the championship will be perfect for him to get ready for what is hopefully, a Premier League campaign with Newcastle in 2017/2018.

6) In your opinion, will he be a success at NUFC?

I think so. If he can maintain the level of performances he had at Palermo he’ll be fine. Lazaar may even overtake Dummett as the starting LB. It’ll be interesting to see how he gets on in the first few months, because I think that will greatly shape how his NUFC career will go.

Statistics:

As far as statistics go, Lazaar’s main strengths are dribbling and tackling. While his weaknesses are aerial duels and holding onto the ball. With Rafa playing a possession based style, it would seem Lazaar will have his work cut out when it comes to holding onto the ball. But he’s still a young lad at 24, and has been tracked by many big European clubs. We can only hope Benitez can mold him and shape him through his season in the Championship.