3 Premier League teams want Newcastle defender in January

Three Premier League rivals are interesting in pursuing Newcastle United defender Javier Manquillo in January.

Newcastle United have been exceeding expectations this season and as a result more of the team’s players are attracting attention around the Premier League. According to a new report that was published yesterday evening, the following teams plan to pursue Javier Manquillo in January: West Ham, Crystal Palace and Brighton.

The interest from these three clubs makes perfect sense as they aim to strengthen their back-lines with a dynamic wing-back, especially West Ham seeing that they have conceded the sixth-most number of goals, 28, this season. Even though this interest presents Newcastle United with an opportunity to make a profit on a player whose three-year contract expires in May, Manquillo is a player that Steve Bruce needs. In fact, the Spaniard’s good run of form  over the last several months should be rewarded with a new contract.

Do Not Sell Manquillo

For the past few seasons, Newcastle United have struggled with consistency at the wing-back position, but that is starting to change. On the right flank, Jetro Willems has solidified his place in the starting lineup. The Dutchman is proving to be a reliable defender who is quick to react and close gaps, is comfortable handling the ball, and is clinical in front of goal.

At left-back, Steve Bruce, much like Rafa Benitez, has rotated between DeAndre Yedlin and Javier Manquillo, however, he also gave summer signing Emil Krafth a few opportunities early in the season, too. The fact that Manquillo is not a regular starter over long periods of time has sparked the interest of other clubs around the league.

So far this season, Manquillo has only made eight appearances for the Toon, but he has been the best left-back in the squad and it looks like Bruce is starting to acknowledge that. Yedlin’s blistering pace makes him an intriguing option to play because he completes several overlapping runs in each game. The problem with Yedlin, though, is his inconsistency in defense, specifically when it comes to marking players in the box.

Manquillo has the same attributes as Yedlin. He covers ground quickly and he presses forward to get involved in the action. Despite only playing in eight games, Manquillo already has two assists to his name and defensively he boasts an impressive tackle success rating of 92%. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that Yedlin seems to pick up one or two injuries that force him to miss several games each season.

The newest left-back, Krafth, is talented and his best attributes are his strength and crossing accuracy, but he needs more time to adapt to English football. On three occasions this season, the Swedish international has struggled with the flow of the game and allowed strikers to get the best of him.

For these reasons, Newcastle United cannot sell Manquillo, especially not to other mid-table clubs in the Premier League. If their interest picks up closer to the start of the transfer window, Bruce needs to take a stand and let Lee Charnley know that Manquillo is not for sale.