Why Newcastle United should sign Samir Nasri in January

Newcastle United currently find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table after accumulating a solitary point from their first four games. Rafael Benitez’s side are yet to register their first win in the Premier League, mainly due to the manager’s overly defensive tactics.

The Magpies brought in quite a few reinforcements in the summer. The likes of Yoshinori Muto, Sung-Yung Ki, Fabian Schar, Federico Fernandez and Salomon Rondon all joined the club. However, the attackers have not made much of an impact since moving to St. James’s Park.

To make matters worse, Newcastle’s brand of football under Rafael Benitez has been dull and boring. While the manager deserves criticism for being too rigid with his tactics, the players have also lacked creativity in the midfield department, thus isolating the players up front. 

Although the team has looked solid defensively, Newcastle must bring in an X-factor to sharpen their attack.  The Magpies have scored only 3 goals from their 4 games and they must aim to achieve a better scoring record.

And they have an easy option available at their fingertips. Samir Nasri is still a free agent and the Frenchman is currently without a club. Hence, Newcastle should grab this opportunity to add the 31-year-old to their squad.

A name familiar to Premier League fans, Nasri was an integral part of Arsenal and Manchester City in his earlier years.

With the arrival of new players at the Etihad, the Frenchman slipped down the pecking order and went on loan at Sevilla, eventually joining Turkish club Antalyaspor last year. However, he terminated his contract mutually with the Turkish side and is yet to find a new club.

A technically brilliant footballer, Nasri could be an asset to any team with his attacking prowess. Although he can play at any position in the midfield, he is at his best when deployed as a central attacking playmaker.

The Frenchman boasts of amazing close control and excels with his vision to find the attackers up front. On occasions, he has also been deployed on the flanks, displaying his ability to supply the strikers with his accurate crosses.

With amazing dribbling skills and a brilliant ability to read the game, Nasri should be a perfect fit for Newcastle’s No.9 spot. His presence could allow Ayoze Perez to partner Joselu up front, making the Magpies look more threatening in terms of their attack.

Read More: Three players Newcastle United should sign in January – including this former Arsenal superstar

As seen from his earlier years at Arsenal, Nasri has also successfully played the role of a central midfielder.

That said, Newcastle should not hesitate to acquire his signature in January.