With the January transfer window open and NUFC looking for a defender to fill one of their loan slots, it seems a good time to consider Florian Lejeune’s position and whether he should have been allowed out on loan in the first place.
Journalists at the latest press conference obviously thought the same thing, asking Steve Bruce about the centre-back’s future and whether we can/will recall him from Alaves this month.
Judging by Bruce’s response he’ll stay put…for now:
“The purpose of it was for him to go and play for the season.
“He’s playing, week in, week out.
“Of course, we’re kept updated on him.
“It’d be nice for Shola (Ameobi), our loans manager, to go and see him, but obviously in the current climate he can’t.”
“The feedback has been good; he’s fit & he’s healthy, which is the most important thing.
“So, I think it’s important the kid still plays the games.”
I think a loan deal for Lejeune to get him fit again would’ve been OK if we’d signed a replacement last summer. But we didn’t and the fact we are now scrapping about for loans six months on whilst he’s stayed fit and is playing so well in Spain makes us look a tad silly.
Especially as Krafth and Hayden have both had to play out of position at CB – although in Hayden’s case very well and even Dummett coming back from injury has had to play in there.
It would be interesting to see if a poll were held on NUFC’s current CB’s where Lejeune would land in the betting. There are many who feel when fully fit, perhaps that’s part of the problem, he’s the best of them all.
Or perhaps that’s the plan? Get him fit, get him playing regularly and getting good reviews in a high-standard league and we can sell him in the summer for decent money?
Who knows, but it seems Steve Bruce is happy with the feedback from Spain and hasn’t closed the door on him reviving his NUFC career when he returns this summer.
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