Lately in the national press, there have been rumours of Newcastle boss, Rafa Benitez, being ‘frustrated’ and ‘unhappy’ about the lack of transfer activity on Tyneside this summer.
With Newcastle re-entering the Premier League, Benitez is clearly keen on bringing in new faces to bolster their chances of surviving relegation in the 2017/2018 season.
Many of you reading this may be wondering, why do we need new players so early in the transfer window?
Firstly, it’s important to get new recruits to mingle amongst their new team mates and bed into their new team well before the start of a season. Coming into a new team – sometimes even a whole new country – can be rather intimidating as they’re getting used to their new surroundings and often adapting to different cultures. Players’ social awkwardness can hinder their confidence in a team which could potentially affect their playing performance.
Another vital reason for bringing players in early is that the need to learn the ‘Rafa Way’. By this, I mean that the player will need to adapt a different way of playing their football – if he gains a good pre season under his belt, he will have been given a better understanding of how his gaffer wants him to play in the up coming season. Different teams play to different styles and lay out different tactics so a player coming in needs time to learn his fresh demands.
United fans are known to be demanding of their club and this isn’t different on a transfer perspective: Newcastle fans want new signings. When the fans see their team spending money and bringing in new players, it notifies them that their club is wanting to positively move up the ladder; something every Newcastle United fan wants.
As of late, a section of Newcastle fans have voiced their anger at the lack of transfer activity on Twitter and other social media platforms. Newcastle have been linked with players such as Harry Maguire, Maxime Gonalons and Nicolas Pepe – who have all departed their teams, but not to Newcastle United. This understandably unnerved the Geordie faithful and worried them; why would they not want to come? Fans will continue to question until Benitez is able to complete a second transfer this season.
The Magpies have been heavily linked with centre back Florian Lejeune from La Liga side Eibar. His deal is estimated to cost about £10m and is ‘close’, according to local press.
The question that must be asked is, when will Newcastle make a significant breakthrough in the transfer window?
Having made only one transfer – Christian Atsu from Chelsea – Benitez’s patience is being tested.
Should NUFC fans be worrying this early into the transfer window? Let @NUFC360 know in a tweet!