Dan Ashworth had a night out on Monday, as the Newcastle United Sporting Director headed to the King Power Stadium to be dazzled by some of the Premier League’s finest players.
Sadly for Newcastle, it was the red of Liverpool that was celebrating, while the blue of Leicester City desperately descended closer than ever to the Championship.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool won 3-0 on the night, boosting their top four bid to go within a point of Newcastle United and Manchester United. The result puts the Magpies under real pressure, as they look to end this astonishing season with qualification for the Champions League.
Reaching Europe’s elite competition will change the landscape of the club, and could open us up to a world of elite signings. And it will be Dan Ashworth‘s job to bring them in.
He has his eye on plenty of players ahead of the summer transfer window, and three of them were in action on Monday night. However, they failed to spark Leicester’s survival bid into life, and they failed their audition for a move to St James’ Park.
Newcastle want three Leicester players, they flopped in front of Dan Ashworth
Newcastle United have been linked with three Leicester players heading into the summer transfer window: James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes.
They are all exceptional players on their day and would be welcome additions on Tyneside, but Monday night’s performance may have soured Ashworth about trying to sign them.
Leicester have a talented squad, but were absolutely helpless against a Liverpool side that tore them to pieces.
The Foxes’ big players did not deliver, appearing to lack the fight and intensity that is needed in a relegation scrap.
Tielemans ‘didn’t press’ while Maddison ‘tried to do too much’
All three players were panned by the Leicester Mercury, who were not kind with their player ratings after the crushing 3-0 defeat.
Tielemans was given a 3/10, and was criticised as he ‘didn’t press’ when moved into a more advanced position. That will be a concern for Newcastle’s recruitment team, as energy off the ball is an important part of Eddie Howe’s tactics.
Maddison, who is the most heavily linked with a move to Newcastle, also struggled against Liverpool. He got a slightly higher rating of 4/10, but was told he ‘tried to do too much’. That is commendable in a way, as he is trying to make something happen, but he chose the wrong moments and was punished.
Barnes received less criticism, but still only got a 4/10 due to his limited impact.
It is food for thought for Ashworth, who won’t have been impressed with the players that he is considering making a move for. However, it is only one game. That must be remembered, while this won’t be the only time he has watched them in the flesh.
While Tielemans is going to be available on a free, the 26-year-old looks like the least suited to Howe’s side. He is a wonderful passer of the ball, but does not boast the athleticism that Howe wants from his midfielders.
As for Barnes, he is great when he is on form, but a performance like Monday night’s suggests he offers no more than what Newcastle already have. Interest in him will likely depend on what European competition Newcastle qualify for, as we can probably do better if we reach the Champions League.
The one player who should get a reprieve is Maddison. He is a long term target for the Magpies, with Ashworth a big fan of the attacking midfielder. One bad performance should not define Newcastle’s interest in him, and it was recently claimed that the club are going to make a bid for him at the end of the season.
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