Newcastle United Opinion: Why Rafael Benitez should sign Jake Livermore?

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Newcastle United are interested in signing Jake Livermore and Kieran Gibbs, as well as current loan star Salomon Rondon. They are ready to let go Dwight Gayle and Jacob Murphy, who are both currently on-loan at West Brom, in exchange.

Salomon Rondon, 29, has been a standout performer for Newcastle United this season, having netted 10 goals in 28 appearances and Rafael Benitez is already looking to sign the centre-forward on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

But Benitez seems to also want Livermore and Gibbs—the duo both stayed loyal to West Brom following relegation to the Championship last year. However, the report claims West Brom will only consider doing business with Newcastle should they fail to win promotion.

Speaking about Jake Livermore, the midfielder joined West Brom from Hull City in January 2017 and has been a regular fixture since arriving at the Hawthorns. He has also performed well this season, scoring two goals and assisting as many times in 37 Championship games. And his consistent performances saw him being rewarded with a new deal until 2022 in December.

Newcastle have their reasons of targeting a midfielder and someone like Livermore certainly fits the bill at St. James’ Park. Jonjo Shelvey has endured an injury-hit 2018/19 campaign, limiting him to just 14 Premier League games. But that hasn’t stopped him from attracting interest from West Ham, while Isaac Hayden wants to leave the Magpies at the end of the season.

Shelvey and Hayden’s potential departure in the summer transfer window would leave Newcastle’s midfield options depleted. That’s when signing Livermore makes sense and Benitez should do everything possible to bring him at Tyneside.

Predominantly a defensive midfielder by trade, Livermore can also operate as a central defender and central midfielder when required. He is conservative with his passing and looks to keep things tidy in the middle of the park. The England international is an excellent tackler and never hesitates to stick a leg to halt opposition’s advance and pick up a booking for his team.

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The 29-year-old has a lot of energy and works tirelessly to make things tick for the team. Livermore brings aggression, steel and bite to the midfield and would be an excellent partner for Mohamed Diame or Sean Longstaff at Newcastle from next season.

Verdict

Come summer, Benitez will need to strengthen different areas of his team, including the midfield. Even if he has to use the likes of Murphy and Gayle as a bait to sign Livermore and Gibbs, the Spaniard shouldn’t hesitate in doing so.