Newcastle United opinion: Rafa shouldn’t make a move for Koray Gunter

Italian news outlet Calciomercato have revealed that Newcastle United are interested in making a move for Serie A star Koray Gunter. The 24-year-old is currently at Genoa, having joined the club in the summer on a free transfer from Galatasaray, and has earned rave reviews since his move.

The report further adds that the Magpies are not the only ones interested in the centre-back.

Bundesliga side Schalke 04 also believe that Koray Gunter has a future at the Veltins Arena and that could potentially prove to be a big issue for the Magpies. However, this is a move that Newcastle United really shouldn’t make in the near future.

While the club do need a new centre-back, they shouldn’t really be looking at Gunter. The 24-year-old has only just started showing signs of consistency for Genoa and yet he’s struggled to establish himself in the starting eleven.

Various injuries and other factors have seen the former Borussia Dortmund man play just 11 games in the Serie A so far.

There was a reason why he was let go by both Dortmund and Galatasaray, where consistency was an issue. Gunter failed to regularly step up for either club, which saw him move on at the end of his contracts with both sides.

It also emphasises why a move to Newcastle United should be out of the question. The Magpies need a reliable centre-back to help partner Florian Lejeune, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles.

This leaves manager Rafael Benitez depending on either Ciaran Clark or Federico Fernandez, which does put the club in a pickle. Neither has impressed when given the chance and that could make the final few games tougher for the club.

The Magpies are out of the relegation scrap and the win against Leicester yesterday guaranteed their safety.

However, they need reinforcements to do the same next season, especially to their back-line. At the same time it doesn’t mean they have to stoop as low as Koray Gunter.

Read more Newcastle United news, click here: Newcastle United latest news

Conclusion

Given the team and the resources he has at his disposal, Rafael Benitez has done a brilliant job at Newcastle United. However, if the club expect him to continue that trend, then he’d need reinforcements in the summer and it has to be players who are better than Koray Gunter.