Newcastle United: Two players worth experimenting at the number ten role

Newcastle United are in dire need of a new attacking midfielder in January, but until then, the club should try these two players in that position.

Scoring woes have been a major issue for Newcastle United for the past two seasons and Rafa Benitez has been calling for more money to purchase a new attacking midfielder. Newcastle are desperate for the arrival of a quality number ten and the January transfer window will be their next chance to bring in new talent.

Until then, however, Newcastle must do some experimenting to improve their offensive efficiency behind the front-line. Ayoze Perez is coming off a great 2017-18 campaign with eight goals and five assists, but the young Spaniard has significantly dropped in form. Perez is failing to meet expectations and for this reason the Magpies should try replacing him with these two players.

Christian Atsu

The Ghanian international is a reliable player for Newcastle when healthy, but he has fallen behind Matt Ritchie and Kenedy for playing time on the wings. Atsu has the quality to start for Newcastle and it would be interesting to see him playing behind the front-line. The winger would not need much time to adjust to this new role.

Atsu is a good passer and makes smart runs off the ball to create a passing lane for himself. Moreover, Atsu likes to shoot the ball, especially from distance when there is a slight opening. His pace, passing ability and desire to shoot from outside the box make him a strong prospective candidate for playing as an attacking midfielder for a few matches.

Jacob Murphy

Another winger who could find success as Newcastle’s number ten is Jacob Murphy. In my opinion, Murphy would not have the impact that Atsu could have in this role, but his pace and athleticism make him an interesting option for Benitez. Murphy is a pass-first player and this would benefit Yoshinori Muto and Salomon Rondon.

Furthermore, Murphy’s pace enables him to run past most defenders with ease. His pace is his primary attribute and it will require at least one defender to stick with him at all times, which would create an opening for a teammate to cut into the penalty area. The likelihood of Murphy actually getting the nod to start in place of Perez is slim, but the idea should not be ruled out.