After failing to land a left back for the third window running, Rafa Benitez is forced to look at other options to provide competition for Paul Dummett – and it could be that forgotten man Achraf Lazaar could come back into the fold.
Manquillo covered Dummett last season but he looked uncomfortable being naturally right footed, and you would imagine Benitez understands the limitations of the former Atletico and Liverpool man.
With no other natural left-back available to cover for Dummett and Manquillo now looking as though he’ll need to fill in for an injured DeAndre Yedlin at right-back, Lazaar *might* just be kept a hold of.
The one signing we didn’t make was full back cover this summer… so naturally we lose a full back on the opening day!
I reckon Achraf Lazaar will definitely be being brought in from the cold now by Benitez #nufc
— Matt Roberts (@atwmroberts) August 11, 2018
Lazaar would certainly be a long shot after being frozen out the first team picture last season and then loaned out to Serie A basement boys Benevento – where he endured as disastrous spell as they finished bottom of the pile – but stranger things have happened.
Rafa did push to sign Lazaar from Palermo two years ago though and perhaps might turn to him out of necessity, after failing to be backed by the board yet again.
The Moroccan international is still just 26 and will have a point to prove, even if it is to put himself in the shop window for a move in the winter – as his stock has clearly fallen so much.
It’s more likely that he’s moved on, but it will be interesting to see if he resumes first team training and can force his way into the manager’s plan in the coming months.
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