Why This 21-year Old Newcastle Target Has The Potential To Become World Class Under Rafa

Why Munir El Haddadi Would Be A Great Buy For Newcastle United

Newcastle United are looking to bolster their forward line before the transfer deadline day slams shut on Thursday and are reportedly lining up a move for Barcelona youngster Munir El Haddadi, the Guardian claims.  

Newcastle United have signed the likes of Joselu, Christian Atsu and Jacob Murphy this summer to strengthen their options in the final third, but manager Rafael Benitez is keen on adding more and has identified Munir as a viable target to sign before the deadline day. 

The 21-year old is a product of the Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy and has been regarded as a special talent for long now. But he finds himself on the fringes of the first-team at the Camp Nou under new boss Ernesto Valverde and with the Catalans now signing Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund and looking to add more numbers to their attack before the summer window closes, it is very much likely that Munir will be relegated to a role with the reserve team for the coming season, which would make him consider a move away from the Catalan outfit.

The youngster was loaned out to fellow La Liga outfit Valencia last season, where he had a decent campaign. Munir finished the 2016/17 term with 8 goals and 3 assists from 39 games in all competitions and while that might not be the most brilliant of returns, it does enough to highlight the potential that he has. The Spaniard is yet to make a single appearance for Barcelona this season though.

Having broken into the first team in the 2014/15 campaign, Munir has gone on to appear 45 times for the Camp Nou outfit, in which he has managed to find the back of the net on 10 occasions. He has also chalked up 10 assists so far.  

Able to play anywhere across the front three, Munir is an exciting young talent, who is best when used out wide, where he uses his intelligence and speed to cut inside and get into dangerous positions on a regular basis. As with many players coming through the La Masia, the 21-year old is gifted with excellent technical abilities and shows great vision in the attacking third, with his ability to find that incisive pass in behind the defence regularly.

True, he does lack a great degree of experience at the top level, and his frail physique means he might not find it easy to get used to the hustle of the Premier League immediately. But Munir has shown signs of immense potential and could thrive under the guidance of Rafael Benitez. At 21, he is young and has all the abilities to grow into a top class attacking talent and Newcastle could reap the benefits of signing him, for the years to come, if they clinch the deal.