According to The Telegraph, Javier Manquillo has received interest from a host of clubs as he nears the end of his Newcastle United contract.
The bad news is that there seems to be a fair few clubs in the queue to sign him on a free, with Mike McGrath’s ‘exclusive’ stating that Real Betis, Southampton and Crystal Palace are all keen, but the good news is that Newcastle are believed to be ‘confident’ of signing him down to a new long-term contract.
His piece for The Telegraph also states that his sources on Tyneside claim talks over a new deal for the Spanish full-back have progressed well, with the club now “hopeful” they’ll beat the three interested clubs to secure his services for a few more years yet.
Many wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if Manquillo had left the club midway through the 2018/19 season, however his upturn in form across 2019 and newfound reliability from right-back has been great to see.
As our title states, I don’t think it would be any exaggeration to say he is now our ‘most improved player’, with him going from a ‘Sunderland reject’ who looked destined to leave as a flop, to arguably the best and most consistent right-back at the club.
He may not be a star name or the man you’d want to see starting every week should a Saudi takeover go through, but he’s versatile, a good age at 26 and a solid option to have in the squad who fully deserves a new deal based on his performances over the past season and a half.
Some may still disagree, but I’m hoping he ignores interest from La Liga and Premier League rivals and puts pen to paper at St James’ Park!
