Newcastle weighing up move for PL flop, potentially rated at £5m – report
By Danny Wright
Newcastle are lining up a move to bring Hamburg midfielder Lewis Holtby back to the Premier League, according to a report.
The Mirror claimed in their live transfer blog on Friday [11:33AM] that the Magpies will be rivalled by Bournemouth in their pursuit for the former Tottenham player, who flopped in his previous stint in the English top-flight.
The 26-year-old endured two miserable seasons at White Hart Lane, making 42 appearances and scoring just three goals despite being an attack-minded midfielder.
After loan spells with Fulham and Hamburg, he made his move to the Bundesliga side permanent in 2015.
The Mirror reports that Holtby “could be available” for a potential fee worth £5million – something which both Newcastle and Bournemouth are excited by.
The three-times Germany international made 30 appearances across all competitions for Hamburg last season, scoring once and supplying six assists.
He showed that he isn’t afraid of the big occasions with top displays in Bundesliga clashes against Wolfsburg and Schalke at the end of the campaign, when he pulled the strings in the Hamburg midfield to see his side finish the season on a high.
Football Insider Verdict
Newcastle could definitely do with a new attacking midfielder this summer, but Holtby was wretched in his previous spell in England with both Spurs and Fulham, so it’s hard to see why Rafa Benitez would want to bring him back to the Premier League – even if he is worth just £5million. Ayoze Perez is a decent player in the No 10 role, but it’s hard to say that Holtby is a better player. Benitez doesn’t need back-up solutions to his current squad members, he needs players with first-team quality. It makes a lot more sense for Bournemouth to pursue to German international than it does for the Magpies.
In other Newcastle news, Benitez has reportedly set this date as the deadline he wants to complete his squad overhaul.
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