Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth could well be looking to find a new midfield recruit ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Magpies having been unable to find a suitable option last month.
One name which has been mooted in recent times is Leicester City playmaker Youri Tielemans, with the Belgian facing an uncertain future at the King Power Stadium with just a matter of months remaining on his existing deal.
That fact could lead to a scramble for his services this summer, though, with it looking as if both Manchester United and Arsenal could well be the clubs to watch in the race to land the 25-year-old ahead of next season.
Should the Tynesiders be unable to tempt the former Monaco ace into moving to St James’ Park, Ashworth and co could well find a suitable alternative in the form of Juventus star Manuel Locatelli, with the two midfielders said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref.
This comes amid claims that Newcastle are interested in signing the Italy international this summer, with Calciomercatoweb revealing that it is ‘not certain’ that he will remain in Turin beyond the end of the season, with the player currently on loan from Sassuolo.
The 6 foot 1 “dominator” – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – notably came to wider attention due to his displays in the Azzurri’s European Championship triumph in 2021, having scored twice in the group stage win over Switzerland.
The £94k-per-week midfielder has also been a solid presence so far this season amid the ongoing turmoil surrounding Juventus, notably averaging two tackles per game from his 17 Serie A outings, along with winning 60% of his duels.
That combative nature is seemingly shared by the aforementioned Tielemans, with the Foxes dynamo averaging 2.2 tackles per game from his 21 Premier League appearances this season, also winning 58% of his duels.
The pair are also composed figures in possession, with the Belgian enjoying a pass accuracy rate of 84% so far this term, while Locatelli is only just behind as he has an average of 82% in that same metric.
That likeness is also showcased by the duo’s ability to provide an effective screen in front of the back four, with Tielemans ranking in the top 17% in Europe among those in his position for blocks made, while the former AC Milan ace ranks in the top 4% in that regard.
That comparison appears to indicate that, should Newcastle miss out on the Leicester ace this summer, they could have already identified an ideal alternative in Locatelli.
from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/rwjB4YC
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