Andros Townsend linked with a return to Newcastle United

The Ex-Toon winger has reportedly drawn interest from both Newcastle United and Leicester in recent days.

A familiar face has been linked with a return to Tyneside, with both the Daily Mirror and The Guardian reporting that both clubs are willing to pay £20m for Andros Townsend’s services.

The winger previously joined Newcastle United from Tottenham back in January 2016 for a fee of £12m, before current club Crystal Palace met his £13m release clause following the Magpies relegation that same year.

Toon fans will have fond memories of Townsend despite relegation, as he made 13 Premier League appearances for Newcastle scoring 4 goals and recording 2 assists. His incredible free kick against Palace in 2016 briefly allowed the Magpies to climb out of the relegation zone, and he became a reliable player for Benitez once the Spaniard took over from Steve McClaren in March that year.

@andros_townsend Goal from the Leazes end. #nufc pic.twitter.com/KnFVzMqLwc
— Stevie Reynolds (@stevross77) May 1, 2016

Newcastle will face stiff competition for Townsend’s signature, as Leicester City are looking at the Palace winger as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who is widely expected to leave the club this summer.

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Townsend enjoyed a decent season for Palace in 2017/18 making 36 Premier League appearances, scoring only 2 goals but notching 7 assists. Whilst the goal tally is disappointing, the assist total is impressive given he was supplying striker Christian Benteke who only managed 3 goals in 31 games last season.

Under former England manager Roy Hodgson, the Palace winger has shown himself to be a versatile forward player able to play on either flank as well as striker. The 26-year-old made 13 appearances for England scoring 3 goals, but these were all under Hodgson and he hasn’t featured for the national side since late 2015.

Benitez favoured Townsend in his natural position on the right flank during his brief spell on Tyneside, as he likes to take on defenders with explosive pace and dribbling before cutting inside onto his strong left foot. It’s unclear though how he would fit with the current Newcastle squad with Matt Ritchie and £12m Jacob Murphy both already good options on the right flank, and it seems unlikely that Benitez would spend £20m just to play Townsend out of his favoured position.

Newcastle are certainly in need of a winger, but even in today’s market £20m is a steep price to pay for a player who won’t necessarily walk into the starting XI. It’s looking increasingly doubtful that the club will splash the cash on Chelsea’s Kenedy even with his fantastic loan form, but it would be a bitter pill to swallow if the transfer record is broken on Townsend instead.

That’s not to say that the Palace winger wouldn’t be a good signing, and he would definitely be met with adoration from the Toon Army. The issue is that the club has numerous holes to address with squad depth a premium right now, and there could be far more effective uses for that £20m.

Unless funds are recouped from the sale of on-loan striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is rumoured to have an asking price around £15-20m, signing Townsend would be a misguided decision for Newcastle right now. Purely on the basis of talent his arrival to St. James Park would be positive for a relatively weak Premier League squad, but the financially the bigger picture should be just as important, and that’s ultimately where this move breaks down.