Newcastle United have reportedly joined the race for highly coveted Stuttgart full-back Borna Sosa, who has a wand of a left foot.
According to Bild, High-flying Newcastle United have expressed their interest in signing exciting Croatian left-back Sosa, who is valued by Stuttgart at around €20 million.
Borna Sosa came through the academy of serial champions Dinamo Zagreb before joining German club Stuttgart in 2019. In his four years with the Bundesliga outfit, he has come on leaps and bounds after struggling with injuries in his first two seasons with the Swabians and has been a regular in the first team over the last three seasons.
The left-back has made 96 first-team appearances for the German club, scoring three goals and setting up an impressive 31 assists, with his offensive qualities and explosive crossing being the main attributes of his game.
The five-time Croatian international’s exploits have put him on the radars of several top clubs across the continent, with the majority of interest coming from the English shores, where Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs have all expressed interest in signing him. Now, Newcastle United have also joined the long list of his admirers.
It’s safe to say only a few would have foreseen the meteoric rise of the St. James’ Park outfit, with the club currently sitting third in the table moving into the World Cup break.
Only heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester City will have more Premier League points than the Magpies in 2022. Their success under Eddie Howe has been consistent for almost a year now, giving credibility to the assumption that Newcastle United can cement their place in the upper echelons of the English Premier League.
However, further additions in January are necessary to provide the vital depth required to sustain their current Champions League position this season and push on all fronts next season.
They have already strengthened their left-back position last summer by signing Matt Targett on a permanent basis from Aston Villa after he impressed on loan at St James’ Park in the latter half of last season. Also, towering 6ft 7in Dan Burn has performed admirably in that area of the pitch, keeping Targett on the bench for most of the current season.
However, none of their options are playmaking creative full-backs, which is thought to be an essential piece in Eddie Howe’s next version of this Newcastle machine.
Renowned for his deep crossing, strong combination play, and versatility, Sosa’s game is built around crossing the ball, and he is unrivalled when it comes to picking out his target man in a crowded space with pin-point, perfectly paced deliveries into the box. And while he needs to improve on the defensive aspect of his game, the 24-year ticks a lot of boxes and could prove to be a bargain signing at just €20 million.
The fullback is under contract at Stuttgart until 2025, having last signed an extension in 2020. It is thought that Stuttgart would be open to parting ways with their prized asset and will not stand in the player’s way if their valuation is met, with the Croat looking to take the next step in his career. It remains to be seen whether Newcastle can snatch yet another talent under the noses of traditional big boys.
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