Why Newcastle shouldn’t hesitate to cash in on Dan Barlaser
According to the Rotherham Advertiser, Championship newcomers Rotherham United are currently leading the race to sign Newcastle United graduate Dan Barlaser after making an official bid for the midfielder.
The 23-year-old was one of the architects of Rotherham’s promotion-winning League One campaign while on loan at the New York Stadium last term and Millers boss Paul Warne wants Barlaser back at the club in the Championship, albeit on a permanent deal. (h/t Rotherham Advertiser)
As per the report, Barlaser, who has only one year left to run on his current deal at St. James’ Park, is ready to give up on his dream of playing regularly for Newcastle after struggling for regular game time.
Profile
Born on Gateshead, Dan Barlaser rose through the youth system at Newcastle United and was handed his senior debut by former manager Rafael Benitez in an FA Cup tie against Birmingham City back in January 2017.
He had a brief loan stint at Crewe Alexandra in League Two before going on to enjoy successful loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Rotherham United in League One. Barlaser contributed with 2 goals and 5 assists in 27 league outings for the Millers last season as the Millers secured promotion back to the Championship.
Despite showing plenty of promise out on loan, Barlaser has struggled to establish himself in Newcastle’s first-team picture, having made only 5 senior appearances for his boyhood club so far.
Barlaser is surplus to requirements at Newcastle
Newcastle are currently well-stocked in central midfield, with Jonjoe Shelvey, Isaac Hayden, and summer signing Jeff Hendrick pretty much among regular fixtures in Steve Bruce’s starting XI. The Magpies also have the academy duo of Sean Longstaff and Matty Longstaff competing for places in the middle of the park.
Dan Barlaser started in Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup this season before coming off the bench as a substitute in the 7-0 rout of Morecambe in the next round of the competition. However, the 23-year-old hasn’t featured in the matchday squads for Premier League fixtures against West Ham, Brighton and Tottenham.
That is a clear indication of how far down the pecking order he is at Newcastle. It’s very rare that we see players making the grade in the Premier League if they haven’t already done so by the time they are 23, meaning Barlaser’s future at Newcastle looks pretty much dead and buried.
Barlaser has never really been in the first-team mix at St. James’ Park and with the midfielder out of contract in 2021, Newcastle should definitely be open to the idea of cashing in on him this summer. At 23, he’s very much at crossroads in his career and he needs to play regular first-team football as opposed to warming the benches at Tyneside.
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Verdict
Looking at things from the player’s perspective, Dan Barlaser has already proven himself as a quality player in the third-tier and a permanent move to Rotherham would now give him a golden chance to test his credentials in the Championship.
Newcastle already have enough depth in their midfield and considering that the 23-year-old doesn’t feature in Steve Bruce’s plans, they should be happy to let him go.
