Why Newcastle United should keep hold of Jacob Murphy
According to Northern Echo, Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce doesn’t want winger Jacob Murphy in his squad for the next season.
The report also suggests that a number of clubs including Middlesbrough are keen on taking Murphy on loan ahead of the new campaign. It is also claimed that Newcastle are willing to sell him and want to cash in on the winger.
Profile
Born in England, Murphy came through the ranks of Norwich City’s youth system and spent most of his Norwich career on loan. He featured for several clubs including Scunthorpe United, Blackpool, Colchester United and Coventry City before joining the Magpies for £12m in the summer of 2017.
However, he has made just 41 appearances for the Toons so far, spending the majority of the time on loan. Last season, with Sheffield Wednesday, he was at his best and helped the side finish in the 16th position in the Championship standings with 9 goals to his name. And Newcastle offloading the winger could spell trouble for the next season.
Murphy could provide depth on the wings for Newcastle United
Bruce’s men finished in the 13th position in the league standings but they struggled for goals throughout the campaign. Joelinton failed to live up to the expectations, scoring just 2 goals in the league and the rest of the strikers also didn’t have much to contribute.
On the wings, only Allan Saint-Maximin did well while Christian Atsu rarely featured for the side. Apart from them and Matt Ritchie, who was largely used at left-back last season, the Magpies don’t have a natural winger in the squad. Thus, keeping hold of Murphy would be a wise decision by the club.
The winger has been in good form in the 2019/20 campaign, scoring 9 goals and providing 6 assists in 44 games across all competitions and his presence would be handy for the manager next season. With Atsu struggling to find form, Murphy can be used according to the situation’s demand. He is capable of providing the Magpies with some much-needed extra goals.
His presence would also provide them with depth in the wide areas. Moreover, Saint-Maximin has been linked with a move elsewhere and if the Frenchman leaves, they would be with limited options in the wings. And given the current financial crisis, finding another winger would be difficult for the club. Thus, they should look to keep hold of Murphy and hand him the right opportunities.
Read more
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Verdict
Newcastle have limited options in the wings and selling Murphy would be a problem in the next season. Atsu also has just one more year left on his contract with the club. And Murphy, who is just 25, has a lot left to offer at a higher level. Thus, Newcastle should take a chance with Murphy by holding on to him.
