Why Newcastle should reignite their interest in Omar Colley
Back in August, a report from Hampshire Live had mentioned Newcastle United among the potential suitors for Sampdoria centre-back Omar Colley. Premier League rivals Burnley and Southampton, as well as Scottish champions Celtic, were also believed to be chasing the 28-year-old, but he eventually ended up staying put in Italy before the summer deadline.
Profile
Omar Colley started his professional career with Wallidan and Real de Banjul in his native Gambia before moving to Europe with Finnish top-flight club KuPS in January 2013. He then signed a contract with Djurgardens IF in the summer of 2014, eventually joining the Swedish giants in January 2015.
The centre-back was sold to Belgian outfit Genk in 2016 following an impressive campaign in Sweden. Colley went on to feature prominently in the club’s march to the quarter-finals of the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League.
The Gambian international featured 95 times for Genk in all competitions over the course of two seasons before his burgeoning reputation in Belgium prompted Sampdoria to take a punt on him in 2018.
Colley has since established himself as a competent central defender in the Serie A, making 58 appearances for Sampdoria in all competitions.
Colley would be a solid addition to Newcastle’s backline
Newcastle roped in Jamal Lewis from Norwich City in the summer to address their issues at left-back but were left frustrated in their attempts to bolster the centre-back department. Steve Bruce’s interest in signing a new central defender had been well-documented throughout the summer after the Magpies leaked 58 goals in the PL last season.
Indeed, those numbers don’t make for impressive readings on paper, even more so considering that Newcastle had as many as six specialist centre-backs in their ranks last term. The Magpies presently have Jamal Lascelles, Ciaran Clark, Paul Dummett, Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar competing for places following the departure of Florian Lejeune in the summer.
However, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Newcastle need some upgrades at the back. The Magpies have conceded 13 goals in 8 games so far, which represents a continuation of their defensive struggles from the previous campaign.
With Fernandez, Clark and Schar all out of contract next summer, Bruce certainly needs to reshape his options with one eye on the future. And Newcastle need to look no further beyond one of their summer targets, Omar Colley, if they opt to dip into the January market for a new centre-back.
Colley has proven his mettle as a quality centre-back in Italy after successful stints in Finland, Sweden and Belgium. Besides that, the Gambian has also excelled in the Europa League in the past, which clearly underlines his potential to make the step up to a more competitive league.
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Verdict
Colley’s impressive performances at Sampdoria in the Serie A over the past two seasons have attracted widespread interest from several clubs across Europe, including ones in the Premier League. Newcastle missed out on a deal for the Gambian in the summer but they should definitely make a renewed attempt to sign him in January.
The Magpies are in dire need of a defensive reshuffle and the 28-year-old looks more than capable of offering Bruce some much-needed stability at the back. Having said that, Colley still has several years remaining in his prime and would be a real coup for Newcastle if he is, indeed, available for the reported price of £16million.
