Why Newcastle Must Sign Manchester City’s Fabian Delph In The Summer
A recent report from The Guardian claimed that Newcastle United are planning a move for Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph in the summer after the Magpies confirmed their promotion back to the Premier League last week.
The 27-year old former Leeds United and Aston Villa midfielder has endured a difficult spell with the Citizens, having moved to the Etihad back in the summer of 2015. Long-term injuries have played a huge role in Delph being unable to carve out a place in the starting XI; first under Manuel Pellegrini and now under Pep Guardiola.
Delph was relegated to the treatment tables for the first half of this season and as a result has been able to make just 13 appearances for the Manchester City first team scoring 2 goals.
Despite his recent injury and fitness woes, the Englishman remains a quality player and can boost Newcastle’s midfield in their comeback season in the English top-flight. At 27, Delph is set to enter the best years of his career and playing him alongside Jonjo Shelvey in the two-man midfield axis could prove to be a game-changer for the Tyneside club.
Manager Rafael Benitez has used Isaac Hayden prominently alongside Shelvey in the Championship this season and while the former Arsenal midfielder has done a fine job of shielding his backline, he doesn’t really offer a lot while going forward.
There have been instances when Benitez has had to use Jack Colback and Mohamed Diame in the middle of the park, but neither of the two has been impressive. Colback isn’t someone who could be counted on over the course of the season as he doesn’t bring much to the team offensively and Diame, on the other hand, has been one of the least effective players for the Magpies in the second half of the season.
There is no doubt that Delph will be a huge improvement on any of the options that Benitez has at his disposal at the moment. The Manchester City ace is a solid operator in the middle of the park and can offer a screen to his defence with his ability to read the game and be a step ahead. His dribbling abilities and his prowess from distance is something that will surely help Newcastle’s attack.
The England international is in contract with City until the summer of 2020. But considering that Guardiola will be bringing in more players over the summer, is possible that they may offload Delph for a reasonable profit, having signed him for just £8million.
Landing Delph will no doubt provide a huge boost on the pitch for the Magpies, and it will make a huge statement off the field as well. Signing someone of his quality and talent from one of the biggest teams in England will send out strong signals about Newcastle’s ambitions, which will also help them attract other transfer targets. In all ways, a deal for Delph makes complete sense for Newcastle and they should look to snap him up at the earliest.