Rafa Benitez
Newcastle United exceeded expectations as they not only survived in the Premier League last season but also finished 10th. Rafa Benitez has outdone himself as he rallied the Magpies to deliver some incredible performances to stay afloat in the previous campaign.
The Tyneside outfit, however, are known to operate on a tight budget when it comes to signing players. They have signed a couple of new faces in the ongoing transfer window. The likes of Ki Sung-yeung, Yoshinori Muto, Salomon Rondon (on loan) and Fabian Schar. However, with deadline day looming ahead, here are 2 players Benitez must look to sign before the summer window slams shut.
Federico Fernandez is a centre-back by trade and Newcastle are in dire need of bolstering their forces in that department following an injury to Florian Lejeune. They already have Jamaal Lascelles, who is rightfully regarded as one of the best in the English top-flight. However, going forward, the club will need added depth.
To that end, signing the Swansea centre-back certainly makes sense. At 29 years of age, he is skilled as well as experienced enough to make a significant impact for the Magpies. Chronicle Live had reported that Swans are looking for a fee in the region of £10million, which is quite a decent sum.
Newcastle could certainly use the services of a new left-back before the window comes to an end. And Tagliafico, who currently plies his trade with Dutch giants Ajax, certainly seems like a great option.
As of now, Paul Dummett is the only recognized left-back option for Newcastle and that could prove to be cumbersome for them as the new season commences. It is not possible for Dummett to play week in and week out, thus bringing up the need for a new left-back.
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Last season, Benitez often deployed Javi Manquillo as a backup but that did not yield significant results. Hence, signing a player like Tagliafico could go a long way toward solving their woes. One might argue that Benitez could use Kenedy at left-back, having completed a loan deal for him once again. However, the Chelsea starlet is more comfortable playing an advanced role, thereby establishing that Newcastle must make a last-minute attempt to sign Tagliafico.
