Yacine Brahimi would be a fantastic addition for Newcastle in January
According to The Sun, FC Porto’s Algerian international Yacine Brahimi has attracted interest from some of the big names of the Premier League including Everton, Newcastle and West Ham United.
The 28-year-old has less than a year remaining on his current contract which is set to expire next summer and he will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement when the transfer window opens in January.
Brahimi joined Portuguese giants Porto back in 2014 after stints with Ligue 1 side Rennes and La Liga outfit Granada. He has been quite a revelation since his move to Portugal, racking up consistent performances over the course of four seasons. As a matter of fact, he was one of the stars of the Portuguese top-flight last season, scoring 9 goals and providing 7 assists.
And he has continued his merry way this term as well, having already hit the ground running with a couple of goals in the league.
The 28-year-old, who starred for Algeria at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, is a technically-gifted playmaker and is versatile enough to slot into any position in the attacking third. A fleet-footed creative midfielder who predominantly operates down the left, Brahimi is also capable of playing in a central role behind the striker.
Meanwhile, Newcastle finally seem to have breathed some life into their tottering Premier League campaign with back-to-back victories over Watford and Bournemouth in recent weeks.
As much as Rafael Benitez has been criticized for his ultra-defensive and one-dimensional philosophy this season, victories against the top half teams should do a world of good to the confidence of the players and the manager. Having won their last two games, the Magpies have climbed up from the relegation zone to 14th in the standings but they still have a long way to go to fight for their survival.
West Brom loanee Salomon Rondon was the star of the show last week as he netted twice in the 2-1 win over Bournemouth. The build-up to both the goals came from the flanks with the likes of Matt Ritchie and Robert Kenedy playing a vital role. With a total of 14 cracks at goal, Newcastle arguably produced their best offensive football in the last game.
However, the lack of an out-and-out No.10 has been a major cause of concern for Benitez this season. Ayoze Perez and summer recruit Yoshinori Muto have been entrusted with the job of filling the hole behind the striker but neither of them has been able to deliver the goods.
To put things into perspective, Yacine Brahimi would be a fantastic addition to Newcastle’s squad during the mid-season trading period. The 28-year-old is renowned for his brand of football and takes on the defenders with his pace and dribbling skills.
In fact, he averaged a whopping 5.1 dribbles per game last term in the Portuguese top-flight. To add to that, he also averaged 1.9 shots and 1.5 key passes per game, figures that should convince Benitez to make a move for him.
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Quite clearly, Brahimi ticks all the boxes for a creative midfielder and a winger. The Sun states that Everton and West Ham are the favourites to land him but Newcastle should leave no stone unturned in their efforts to lure the Algerian to Tyneside in January. A player of his calibre is likely to provide a new dimension to their attack.
