Newcastle United Opinion: Magpies should go all out in their pursuit of Stanley N’Soki
According to a report from the Chronicle Live, Newcastle United could reignite their interest in PSG left-back Stanley N’Soki when the transfer window reopens.
The Chronicle reported last summer that the Magpies were hot on trail of the French youth international, while French newspaper La Provence claimed back in January that PSG had turned down an approach from the Premier League club.
However, it looks as if Newcastle are finally going to have some luck in their pursuit of the talented youngster, with French news outlet Le Parisien claiming that PSG are likely to sell some of their fringe players to avoid falling foul of Financial Fair Play regulations and Stanley N’Soki is one of them.
The same source understands that PSG would be willing to entertain offers of around £8.5 million for the highly-rated left-back, which should be affordable for any Premier League club.
A talented youngster with loads of potential and probably a high resale value, N’Soko perfectly fits the profile of players Newcastle owner Mike Ashley likes to invest in and the Magpies have been handed a massive boost in their pursuit of the French prodigy.
Born in Poissy, France, to parents of Congolese descent, N’Soki has represented the country of his birth at all youth levels, having accumulated a total of 13 caps for France from U16 to U21 levels.
Held in high regard in the youth academy at PSG, N’Soki broke into the first team last season but he has really come of age for the Ligue 1 giants this term, making a total of 15 appearances in all competitions, including 8 starts in Ligue 1.
A modern-day offensive-minded full-back, the youngster has earned rave reviews for his well-rounded attributes, and had it not been for the presence of stalwarts like Juan Bernat and Layvin Kurzawa, the youngster would probably have started more regularly at the French capital.
Assured at the back and adventurous further up the pitch, N’Soki has caught the eye with his high work-rate and ability to contribute equally to both defence and attack.
Blessed with a good technique, his range of passing is comparable to any central midfielder, while his bagful of tricks would even make a winger envious. He has a good positional sense for a player of his age, and at 21, there is still plenty of time for him to make significant improvements to his game.
To put things into perspective, Newcastle could have a gem in their hands for a bargain amount if they manage to strike a deal for the talented French left-back this summer.
The Magpies have plenty of issues to tackle ahead of the transfer window, which includes sorting out the future of manager Rafael Benitez, who is out of contract in about a month’s time.
With the futures of Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez on Tyneside still very much up in the air, a new No.9 should be high on the manager’s wishlist but left-back is another area that is in need of investment as well.
Matt Ritchie has been an ever-present for the Magpies in that position but the 29-year-old has attracted interest from Stoke City and his potential exit would leave Benitez, or whoever is in charge for that matter, with a massive void to fill (h/t Sun).
Even if Ritchie stays put, Newcastle should look to bring in a specialist left-back to enable themselves to use the former Bournemouth man in a more advanced role.
Antonio Barreca was brought in on loan from Monaco for that purpose but the Italian has failed to make an impact and Newcastle need to look at other options.
Paul Dummett, though a very sound left-back, does not offer much in terms of attack, which makes him unfit for the role of a wing-back. On the contrary, Stanley N’Soki has a more dynamic game and he would be an ideal option for the Magpies to solve their left-back conundrum.
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Having managed to beat the drop in the last couple of seasons, it is now time for Newcastle to try and get back to the top-half of the Premier League and signing N’Soki would definitely be a step in the right direction.
