United keeping tabs on Japanese winger Doan
GRONINGEN STAR ON TOON RADAR AS THEY PLAN SIGNING MOVES
NEWCASTLE United have checked out Japan international winger Ritsu Doan ahead of the January transfer window.
Sources in Holland have indicated United have taken a look at 20-year-old Doan in recent months, with the player currently plying his trade with Groningen in the Eredivisie.
United are keen to bolster their options out wide and Doan can play on either side of the field.
Doan has also been tracked by Manchester City but they will not be able to offer him the same amount of first-team chances as Newcastle.
Doan was linked with a move to Man City last summer and has a price tag of £1.7million.
He has just been named in Japan’s squad for the Asian Cup in UAE in January and is a team-mate of Yoshinori Muto.
Benitez’s scouting team has completed its work for the first half of the season and the Toon manager will now sit down with managing-director Lee Charnley to discuss initial movement.
Charnley is under no illusions about the need for new faces in January and has held some positive conversations with the former Real Madrid and Liverpool boss.
The truth is, with or without Benitez, the Magpies need to reinvest in their squad.
This is something the Spaniard pointed out last month when he said: “When we talk about my future and what might happen we are talking about the future of Newcastle United, not Rafa Benitez.
“In the end we sign players, I don’t take them home with me. “They stay at Newcastle United.” Meanwhile, Benitez has received a big boost ahead of January after Muto was left out of the Japan squad. Benitez was braced to lose Muto between January 5 to February 1 for the 2019 Asian Cup, which takes place in the United Arab Emirates. Japan are set to face at least three group games in the Asian Cup in both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain as they take on Turkmenistan, Oman and Uzbekistan.
However, Muto, who has been struggling with a calf injury recently and who has just become a father, has been given dispensation by the Japanese FA to sit out.
Muto is set to move his family over to Newcastle in the new year and the last thing he needs is an international tournament in the Middle East.
However, this news will be welcomed by Benitez who knows Muto’s presence will be vital in the Premier League next year.
Benitez feels Muto will get better and better once he settles in after making a big summer move from Mainz in the Bundesliga.
Newcastle must now wait to see if Ki Sung-yueng is selected for the tournament.