Arrival Of An Angel – Why Atletico Madrid’s Angel Correa Would Be A Great Addition For Newcastle United
Newcastle United are in negotiations with Atletico Madrid forward Angel Correa over a summer move, as per reports from the Chronicle. The Magpies, who are currently away on a pre-season tour in Germany, are reportedly having talks in order to finalise a deal for the £15.3m rated Correa or Arsenal’s Lucas Perez, according to the report.
The 22-year old has been heralded as one of the brightest prospects in the Spanish La Liga, but hasn’t been able to kick on since his move to Los Colchoneros from San Lorenzo back in 2014. He had to wait for a year to make his debut for the new club, which came in the 2015/16 season. Correa had a decent debut campaign, finishing with 8 goals and 4 assists in 36 games in all competitions. Last season, he impressed again, as he bagged 8 goals and registered 11 assists in 47 games across all competitions.
Correa is primarily a striker, but has been used on either flank or behind the main man by Diego Simeone, and he has done well in each of the roles he has been asked to fill. His versatility combined with his innate abilities make him an exceptional talent, so much so that last summer, La Liga giants Barcelona tried to sign him as a long-term replacement for Lionel Messi, but their advances weren’t entertained by Atletico (The Sun).
Physically very much in the mould of his compatriot Sergio Aguero, Correa isn’t the strongest in the air and may not be very well suited to do hold-up play at the top. But he more than makes up for it with his pace and dribbling skills. Using his low centre of gravity, he can twist and turn out of tight spaces and has the technical ability to unleash shots at goal from distance. His vision is also another asset to the team, as seen by his assist numbers for Atletico last season.
Newcastle are in need of a forward player that would pose a different threat to the likes of Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic. And in Correa, they will get a player with natural flair and panache who possesses the necessary skillset to improve the team on the whole.
His versatility would mean that the Magpies boss Rafael Benitez will be able to use him as a striker or pair him up with a bigger target man, like Mitrovic. The Serbian hasn’t been able to find his feet in England despite having spent two years with the club. But with someone with the vision and intelligence of Correa operating with him, it could help Rafa get the best out of Mitrovic too.
At 22, he is yet to fulfil his immense potential and if Newcastle manage to sign him this summer, they could have a superstar in the making.