Newcastle’s Forgotten Man: Islam Slimani
Newcastle United brought in Islam Slimani to add some scoring up top, but he made a minimal impact with the Magpies.
As we continue to look back on players that you may have forgotten played for Newcastle United, we revisit Islam Slimani and a very forgettable loan spell.
During the 2017-18 Premier League season, Newcastle United were struggling to get goals from their two primary strikers, Dwight Gayle and Joselu. With Rafa Benitez desperate to bring in another option up top, they turned to Islam Slimani of Leicester City.
He played in 12 EPL matches for Leicester before joining Newcastle in January, scoring just one goal and registering one assist. Unfortunately, when he arrived in Tyneside, he wasn’t at full fitness.
Slimani was carrying a thigh injury and also suffered a setback. That caused him to miss the first six matches that he was eligible for with the Magpies. He came off the bench for his first appearance and helped set up the lone goal in a 1-0 win vs. Huddersfield.
After being required to sit out the match vs. Leicester, he registered his only assist for NUFC against Arsenal. He made his lone start against Everton and came off the bench against West Brom, which ended up being his final match for Newcastle. He was involved in an off-ball incident and received a three-match ban to close out the season.
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Where Are They Now?
He is still under contract with Leicester City, but he spent this season on loan with Monaco. He’s enjoyed his most successful season, tallying nine goals and seven assists in Ligue 1.