Why Newcastle should reignite their interest in Stefano Sensi next summer
According to an earlier report from the Chronicle Live prior to the January transfer window, Newcastle United were interested in signing Italian international midfielder Stefano Sensi, with manager Rafael Benitez keen to bolster his options in the middle of the park.
The same report claimed that Serie A giants AC Milan and Inter Milan were also keeping tabs on the Sassuolo star. However, a move to English football failed to materialize for the highly-rated Italian midfielder, with the Magpies landing Paraguayan playmaker Miguel Almiron on a club-record deal.
A youth product of Italian second division club Cesena, Sensi played for his boyhood club and spent time on loan at fourth division outfit San Marino before being snapped up by Sassuolo in January 2016. He made his breakthrough in the Serie A in the 2016-17 season and the 23-year-old hasn’t looked back since then, with his consistently impressive displays leading him to be dubbed as a second version of Marco Verratti in the making.
Sensi has starred for Sassuolo once again this term in the Serie A, accumulating a goal and an assist from 18 appearances. Regarded as a technically-gifted and tactically-versatile midfielder, the 23-year-old is comfortable in defensive, central and attacking roles in the centre of the park, whilst also being used on the wings occasionally.
Standing at 5ft. 6 inches with a low centre-of-gravity, Sensi is not the strongest player on the pitch but he excels in a defensive role with his positional sense and interpretation of space, cutting out the attacks and acting as a shield for the rearguard. The Italian boasts of an admirable range of passing and immaculate ball distribution skills, both short and long, which allow him to dictate the tempo of the game and switch the play. When deployed in a more attacking role, he combines his sharpness with his tactical intelligence and vision to work the channels and create chances.
Sensi averages 48.5 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 90.7, including 0.9 crosses and 2.6 long balls. Furthermore, he averages 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.5 key passes and 1.1 shots per game, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded abilities as a central midfielder.
To put things into perspective, Newcastle should reignite their interest in the Italian maestro next summer to add more depth and quality to their midfield options. The Magpies signed the likes of Miguel Almiron and Antonio Barreca in January but they should strengthen even further in the summer to build a squad capable of securing a top-ten finish.
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The Magpies have been forced to battle with relegation in the last few seasons in the Premier League and they need to invest heavily next summer to bring in at least another marquee signing. And Stefan Sensi has all the attributes to add more steel and creativity to Newcastle’s midfield.
The likes of Mo Diame and Sean Longstaff have done really well in central midfield but Jonjo Shelvey has shown once again that it is hard to rely on his abilities, with the former Liverpool man spending long spells on the sidelines due to injuries. Rafael Benitez hasn’t shown much faith in former Arsenal man Isaac Hayden while a more attacking player like Ayoze Perez has endured a miserable campaign.
Sensi has a €25 million price tag over his shoulders and he definitely won’t be available for a measly amount but that shouldn’t put Newcastle off. That said, they should go all out to sign him next summer.
