Newcastle full-back Javier Manquillo in action. (Getty Images)
As reported by the Chronicle Live, Newcastle United defender Javier Manquillo is keen on returning to homeland Spain, with his contract with the Magpies set to expire next month. To that end, his agent has already offered the defender’s services to Real Betis and Sevilla.
The 26-year-old Manquillo started out at the academy of Real Madrid, before joining Atletico Madrid’s youth setup in 2007. The full-back made 17 first-team appearances before going on a series of loan spells at Liverpool (2014/15), Marseille (2015/16) and Sunderland (2016/17).
In the summer of 2017, the Spaniard joined Newcastle United on a permanent transfer but has hardly been a regular starter at St. James’ Park. In almost three years at the club, Manquillo has managed just 59 appearances, bagging 5 assists in the process.
Newcastle United, meanwhile, have had another middle-of-the-road campaign. The Magpies are placed 13th in the Premier League campaign, with 35 points from 29 matches so far. After another ordinary campaign, the Magpies need to overhaul their squad in the summer, getting rid of the players that are not in the first-team picture and invest in new talent.
The potential £300m takeover should provide them with sufficient funds to invest in new, top quality players. And for them to make room for the newcomers, axing some of the current players who haven’t made the necessary impact would be the right move. To that end, the Magpies should let Manquillo’s contract run out and not hand him a new deal.
The 26-year-old is a utility player, who can play on both the right and left sides of the defence. However, he has failed to establish himself as a regular in the first-team even though it’s been three years since he joined the club.
Manquillo has made just 15 appearances over the course of the 2019/20 campaign and hadn’t been a part of 12 matchday squads out of the Magpies’ 29 Premier League matches. Clearly, the Spaniard doesn’t have a huge role to play under manager Steve Bruce’s current plans.
Hence, allowing him to leave when his deal expires would be the right move. Doing so would free up a place for a potential new signing in the squad, while also taking his salary off the wage bill.
Manquillo, in his three years at Newcastle, hasn’t been able to nail down a spot for himself. Having featured in just 13 league games this term, it is quite evident that he is not a big part of the manager’s plans. Hence, letting him leave to make room for a new arrival would be the right thing to do for the Magpies.
