Why Newcastle United should re-sign Jetro Willems next summer
According to The Chronicle, Eintracht Frankfurt defender Jetro Willems is keen on a return to Newcastle United next summer, having spent the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Tyneside.
The Dutchman featured prominently and impressed for Steve Bruce’s side during the first half of last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in January. Newcastle were interested in completing a permanent deal for Willems in the summer but ended up signing Jamal Lewis from Norwich City due to the 26-year-old struggles with injuries.
Willems isn’t expected to play for Frankfurt until the start of 2021 and is out of contract at the end of the ongoing campaign. That pretty much leaves the door open for Newcastle to snap him up on a free transfer next summer.
Profile
Jetro Willems started his professional career with Sparta Rotterdam in the Dutch second-tier before rising to prominence with PSV Eindhoven. He made 192 appearances for Eindhoven in all competitions over the course of six full seasons in the Eredivisie, registering 12 goals and 34 assists in the process.
The left-back’s burgeoning reputation as one of the hottest young talents in the Netherlands paved the way for a switch to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2017. Willems featured 65 times for the German outfit in his first two seasons, although a large fraction of those appearances came as cameos off the bench.
The Dutchman was loaned out to Newcastle United ahead of the 2019-20 season and quickly established himself as a regular fixture under Steve Bruce at Tyneside. Willems bagged 2 goals and 2 assists in 19 PL outings for the Magpies, including an absolute stunner against eventual champions Liverpool at Anfield.
Willems would offer Newcastle some valuable depth
Jetro Willems was arguably one of Newcastle’s best players during the first half of the previous campaign despite the team’s inconsistent form in the Premier League. The Dutch international proved himself to be a tailor-made fit for the rough-and-tough nature of the English top-flight with his powerful physique and ability to contribute equally at both ends of the pitch.
He was pretty much an undisputed starter under Steve Bruce before the terrible knee injury spelt a premature end to his loan spell. However, Willems showed enough promise to convince that he’s more than capable of making a big impact in the Premier League, provided he stays fit.
Summer signing Jamal Lewis has, of course, made a positive impression following his move to St. James’ Park from relegated Norwich City. The youngster has started 7 out of the club’s 8 opening league fixtures so far this season but is yet to register a goal or an assist. Lewis has been touted for a bright future but is yet to evolve into a finished article.
Newcastle should, therefore, look to bring in a quality understudy to compete with Lewis for a place on the left-hand side of the backline. Matt Ritchie (31) and Paul Dummett (29) have both struggled with injuries, and haven’t really done an awful lot over the past 12 months. Hence, the door remains open for Jetro Willems to make a return to the club at the end of the season.
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Verdict
Willems boasts an excellent profile for a player aged just 26, having already accumulated close to 300 club career appearances. It’s hard to believe he’s still relatively young as the Dutchman has been playing professional football since the age of 16.
The left-back showed his quality and experience in the Premier League last season and there’s no reason why Newcastle shouldn’t offer him a return next summer if he recovers from his injury. Willems still has several years remaining in his prime and would be a real coup for the Magpies on a free transfer.
