After already being linked with Sporting Lisbon pair Ruben Semedo and William Carvalho this summer, repots in Portugal are now crediting Newcastle with an interest in their left-back, Marvin Zeegelaar.
Rafa Benitez is keen to add competition to the left-back slot this summer, and it is believed that the Dutchman is being considered as a cheaper alternative to Kieran Gibbs – who has been valued at £15m.
Zeegelaar, 26, is said to be available for a fee in the region of £3.5m, with Sporting Lisbon’s financial problems meaning they are being forced to sell several of their players for knock-down prices.
With Achraf Lazaar and Massaido Haidara set to be offloaded and Paul Dummett’s place in the side requiring competition, a move for a left-back makes sense, however I am unsure Zeegelaar represents the sort of player we should be targeting this summer.
He has not been pulling up any trees in the Portuguese league and has a relatively unimpressive CV. I would argue that Newcastle should look to proven quality at left-back this summer, with recent full-back signings from abroad failing to make an impact (Lazaar, Gamez, Haidara).
Yes the foreign market can offer greater value for money, but the left-back slot is an area requiring considerable improvement this summer, and i’m not convinced Zeegelaar would offer that.
Here’s him in action last season:
