Liam Kennedy of the Shields Gazette believes a second move Leicester’s Hamza Chowdhury is one to watch this summer, insisting that he’s a player Steve Bruce “likes a lot”.
He reveals that the Foxes’ midfielder was a “hair’s breadth” away from signing at St James’ Park on deadline day back in January, but the move failed to materialise as Leicester failed to sign a replacement in time.
Choudhury went on to win the FA Cup and even made a substitute appearance in the final, coming on for ex-Toon forward Ayoze Perez.
His chances appear limited again next season under Brendan Rodgers, with Leicester’s chase for former NUFC target Boubakary Soumare likely to see him fall further down the pecking order – although that could be good news for us and a move that allows him to depart this summer.
Kennedy believes Steve Bruce remains keen on the midfielder and that he is an improvement on what we already have in midfield. Here’s what he had to say when speaking on Loaded Mag podcast:
“He was a hair’s breadth away from signing for Newcastle United in January, and he may well come back this summer, he’s a player that Steve Bruce likes a lot.
“He’s OK, I’m not going to say he’s going to change the team around, but he’s probably slightly better than some of the players that they’ve got.”
A defensive-minded midfielder who loves a tackle, Choudhury would be competing with Isaac Hayden for the role of enforcer in the NUFC engine room.
We look light for midfield options right now – especially if Matty Longstaff is allowed to leave – but I’m unsure if he is what we should be looking to bring in.
All our eggs should be in the Joe Willock basket and trying to convince him that his future lies on Tyneside, however Choudhury is a different type of player who could add some much needed bite to Bruce’s side.
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Our eggs, as you put it, are not in persuading Willock to commit to us, but to convince Arsenal to let him go, and the only thing that will do that is cash. So we have to come up with what he’s worth plus some more so that Arsenal consider it foolish not to sell.
A bit like we did with Carroll, Sissoko and Perez.
As for Choudhury everyone touting this move seems to conveniently ignore the fact that the Leicester midfielder put Matt Ritchie out for 19 games with what Bruce referred to as a “horror tackle”.
So first of all – Bruce hasn’t had a good word to say for the lad so why would he “like him a lot”?
Secondly – who in their right mind would bring Chouhury into a team with Matt Ritchie?
Ritchie would nail him in the first training session.
I call total bollocks on this one.
Freddd(Quote)