Forget Gallagher: Howe can seal an “unreal” various in late NUFC transfer for £20m ace – opinion
Newcastle United have been handed a possible increase of their bid to deliver Youri Tielemans to St James’ Park on switch deadline day.
What’s the discuss?
In current feedback cited by Newcastle World, Leicester Metropolis supervisor Brendan Rodgers recommended that, with lower than 24 hours remaining of the January switch window, he’s nonetheless uncertain as as to whether or not the 25-year-old midfielder might be on the King Energy Stadium come Wednesday morning, with the Belgian having simply six months to run on his contract with the Foxes.
That is prone to come as one thing of a lift to each Eddie Howe and Newcastle, because the Magpies have been repeatedly linked with a transfer for the previous AS Monaco expertise this winter – with Leicester believed to be prepared to sanction the sale of the 58-cap worldwide ought to they obtain a suggestion within the area of £20m previous to this night’s switch deadline.
Concerning the quick way forward for Tielemans, Rodgers mentioned: “I started this chat two years ago. I don’t know what can happen. My focus is on who’s here and we’ll see what happens. He’s only got a number of months left on his contract and this has been going on for two years. I’m not going to continue speculating. We’ll see what happens.”
Gallagher various
With it being clear that Howe is looking out for a brand new central midfielder over the remaining hours of the January switch window, as evidenced by Newcastle’s reported curiosity in a £45m transfer for Conor Gallagher, the argument that Tielemans would characterize an unreal various to the Chelsea starlet for the Magpies this winter is an especially simple one to make.
Certainly, over his four-year keep on the King Energy, the £45m-rated playmaker has constantly been one of many Foxes’ finest performers within the high flight, averaging a Sofascore statistical ranking of 7.00 or above in every of his 5 campaigns with the membership, to not point out scoring 28 objectives and offering an additional 25 assists over his 184 appearances for Rodgers’ facet.
And, regardless of Leicester’s struggles within the league to date this season, the £35k-per-week playmaker has nonetheless managed to impress over his 20 Premier League fixtures, scoring three objectives, registering one help and creating seven massive probabilities for his teammates, along with taking a mean of 1.2 pictures, making 1.1 key passes and finishing 0.6 dribbles per recreation.
The 25-year-old has additionally impressed in additional workmanlike metrics, making a mean of two.1 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and successful 4.2 duels – at a hit charge of 56% – per match, along with having fun with a mean of 68.4 touches, discovering his man with 2.6 lengthy balls and finishing 46 complete passes – at a hit charge of 85% – per outing.
These returns have seen the participant who talkSPORT’s Jack Johnson dubbed “unreal” common an astonishing Sofascore statistical ranking of 7.17, not solely rating him as Leicester’s second-best performer within the league but additionally because the joint Thirty third-best participant within the high flight as a complete – a fairly unimaginable feat whereas taking part in for a membership who sit only a level above the relegation zone.
As such, contemplating the truth that Tielemans could be very a lot a confirmed high performer within the Premier League, coupled with the actual fact he appears to be accessible for round £25m lower than each his present market valuation and Gallagher’s asking worth, it will certainly seem as if the Belgian would characterize an unreal various to the Chelsea midfielder for the Magpies.