Why Newcastle United should refrain from signing Rob Holding

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United have expressed an interest in signing Arsenal defender Rob Holding on loan for the 2020/21 season. He currently earns £21,875-a-week at the Emirates.

As per the report, the 24-year-old Holding is deemed as surplus to requirements at Arsenal, who are closing in on the transfer of Gabriel Magalhaes. And Newcastle are keen on signing him up on a season-long loan deal, but face competition from Leeds United.

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Holding started out at the academy of Bolton Wanderers in 2003 and progressed through the youth ranks. After a brief loan spell with Bury, the centre-back became a regular in the Bolton first-team and made 30 first-team appearances before Arsenal came calling in the summer of 2016.

Since joining the Gunners, the 24-year-old has shown potential but has never been able to establish himself as a first-team regular at the Emirates. In four years at the club, Holding has made just 78 appearances, scoring a couple of goals. (h/t Transfermarkt) Holding has made five appearances for the England U21 side.

Why Newcastle should avoid Holding

Newcastle United endured a largely middling 2019/20 campaign, finishing 13th in the Premier League. In their 38 league outings, the Magpies shipped in 58 goals, which is not good enough for a team aiming to achieve a top-half finish.

As things stand, they already have six centre-backs on their books. However, three of them – Fabian Schar, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez are in the final year of their contracts, while Florian Lejeune has been linked with a switch to Ligue 1.

In case any of them end up leaving, Newcastle would be left light in the centre-back department. However, signing Holding would not be the best course of action for the Magpies.

While the 24-year-old has been at Arsenal for four years, he has never been a first-team regular. In fact, till date, Holding has made just 39 appearances in the Premier League. The Englishman has had a troublesome injury history, which would make him an unreliable presence for the Tyneside outfit.

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In the season gone by, Holding featured just 18 times across all competitions for Arsenal, only six of which were starts in the Premier League. Given his injury record and the lack of top-level experience, Newcastle would be better off looking elsewhere.

Verdict

Newcastle’s defensive performances this past season were disappointing. And with three of their six centre-backs in the final year of their contracts, the Magpies might need to bring in reinforcements this summer.

However, Holding wouldn’t be the best choice for Steve Bruce & co. The 24-year-old has not been a regular at Arsenal and has a poor fitness record. He would hardly represent a reliable option and thus, they should avoid making a move for him.