Newcastle United Opinion: Why the Magpies should sign Maxime Gonalons

According to a report from Calciomercato, Newcastle United are interested in signing AS Roma midfielder Maxime Gonalons.

The Frenchman, 30, failed to really establish himself at Roma following a 2017 move from Lyon, and also struggled for playing time at Sevilla last season. He endured an injury-hit campaign with Sevilla, managing only 10 La Liga games.

Gonalons has returned back to Roma but his stay in the Italian capital club may not be going to last long, with Newcastle considering the nine-cap France international as a ‘low-cost’ signing to make this summer.

The Magpies need to get moving quickly in the transfer market, with new boss Steve Bruce needing a whole lot of new faces.

The club are yet to sign a player this summer, having spent so long attempting to keep hold of Rafael Benitez. Eventually, Newcastle couldn’t and they have replaced Benitez with Bruce, who needs to get the ball rolling in the transfer market.

The Toon Army need additions all across the pitch if they are to challenge for a top-half finish next term. They clearly need some depth in central midfield following the departure of Mohamed Diame and Gonalons could be a smart signing.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Gonalons is a tall and physical presence who can win headers in both boxes and dominate in the air.

He is a good passer of the ball, can control the tempo of the game and break play with his tackling and game-reading skills. The 30-year-old works really hard in the engine room to ensure the team keeps ticking over.

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The Frenchman is not only vastly experienced but he is also a leader too. This midfield anchorman captained Lyon for a number of years, making over 300 appearances for one of Ligue 1’s top sides.

Thus, he would add experience and leadership to the Newcastle midfield, which currently has the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Ki Sung-yueng, Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff.

Verdict

Gonalons is a good player but the move to Roma hasn’t worked wonders for him.

However, if he can rediscover his Ligue 1 form, he could prove to be a quality addition to Steve Bruce’s side. The signing looks like a no-brainer and the Magpies should look to seal the deal if they are truly interested.