Newcastle United Opinion: Newcastle should sign Josha Vagnoman
According to a report from German publication Bild, Newcastle United are keen on bringing Hamburger SV starlet Josha Vagnoman to the Premier League in the summer, with Premier League strugglers Fulham and Championship outfit Brentford also interested in the highly-rated 18-year-old.
Vagnoman made his Bundesliga debut for Hamburger last season as the team suffered relegation but he has made a more prominent mark in the second tier this season. Hamburger are eyeing an immediate return to the top flight and sit just a couple of points adrift of leaders Cologne.
The Hamburger prodigy featured regularly for Germany at the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup in India and was a part of the team that lost to Brazil in the quarterfinals. Vagnoman has only made 7 appearances for Hamburger this term but he is held in very high regard in German football.
Essentially a right-back by trade, Vagnoman has shown the versatility to play as a left-back and also as a winger or an attacker further up the pitch on either side.
Standing at 6ft.1 inch with a towering and sinewy frame, Vagnoman has the physicality to compete with physically dominating opposition despite his tender years. He is comfortable on the ball and has a well-rounded defensive and attacking game, making himself big to close down the attackers amd running at his opposite number with pace and directness.
To put things into perspective, Vagnoman is not yet the finished article but he could still be a welcome addition to Newcastle’s squad next summer, with the Magpies short of depth and quality on either side of the defence.
Rafael Benitez has opted for a five-man backline more often than not with DeAndre Yedlin and Matt Ritchie operating as wing-backs. Yedlin, though quite a useful attacker, has proved to be a suspect defensively while Ritchie’s attacking potential hasn’t been used in the best possible manner by playing him as a wing-back.
Paul Dummett is undoubtedly a sound defensive option but the Welshman doesn’t offer much in terms of the attack, making him a misfit in a wing-back position. Liverpool outcast Javier Manquillo has been tried out on either side of the backline by Rafael Benitez but the Spaniard hasn’t done an awful lot either.
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Vagnoman, with his attacking qualities and versatility to play on either side, fits the bill perfectly at Tyneside. Still only 18, he will need time to adapt to English football but he can prove to be a wonderful long-term solution to Newcastle’s full-back conundrum.
That said, Newcastle should try to beat off competition from other clubs and get their hands on the coveted teenager next summer.
