Sky Sports are reporting that Newcastle are keen on Chelsea’s 24 year-old Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu, and they want to take him on loan for the seaosn.
Sky Sports Keith Downie says that Newcastle have inquired about the winger, who seems to have played very little football over the last couple of years.
24 year-old Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu
We understand Newcastle have enquired about taking Chelsea’s Christian Atsu on loan. But he’s one of a number of players they’re looking at.
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) August 25, 2016
Over the last two years he’s been on loan at Everton (13 appearances – 2 assists) Bournemouth (2 appearances – 1 assist) and Malaga (24 appearances – 4 goals) so over the last two seasons he’s played 39 games.
Christian usually plays on the right wing, but he can also play on the left hand side and as a withdrawn striker.
He has been at Chelsea since signing on for them back in the summer of 2013 on a five year deal for a fee of £3.5M from Porto, but he has never played for the Chelsea first team.
In the 2013-2014 season he was on loan at SBV Vitesse in Holland and played 30 games with 5 goals and 6 assists.
Atsu has represented Ghana at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and in two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
He helped his country finish as runners-up in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, when they lost 9-8 on penalties to the Ivory Coast after a 0-0 final score after extra time.
He also was the Player of the Tournament and also scored the Goal of the Tournament – he scored two goals in total and both were against Guinea in the quarter finals.
It was his second goal in that game after 61 minutes that was voted the goal of the tournament as he swings the ball in with his left foot into the top right hand corner of the net.
The loan deal would probably be with an option to buy, so Rafa could take a look at him before committing to make it a permanent deal next year.
Rafa Benitez is looking to sign a winger before the transfer window closes in the middle of next week and an attempt to sign Brighton’s Anthony Knockaert earlier this month was unsuccessful.
Comments welcome.
20 comments so far
G
Aug 25, 2016 at 6:54 PM
Comment #1I dont think ive ever seen this guy play. H7s record doesnt sound brilliant either
Jib
Aug 25, 2016 at 6:56 PM
Comment #2Atsu at the end of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations when he played for Ghana – was awarded with both the Player of the Tournament award , as well as the Goal of the Tournament award for his strike against Guinea.
Laurent Robert 32
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:04 PM
Comment #3Is this the guy who is lightning fast?
Jib
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:06 PM
Comment #4Lauren
shit /shovel
Toonces
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:09 PM
Comment #5Good News about Armstrong
http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20160825/armstrong-signs-new-four-year-deal_2281670_5837272
Essex Geordie Bill
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:14 PM
Comment #6I’m certain the point has probably already been made but why is the club after a player who is just starting to recover from a doubly broken leg?
Didn’t we learn our lesson from Gosling.
Bobbybee
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:14 PM
Comment #7Just for those who didn’t realise. The reason Arma played for the U23’s – along with several others, both for Newcastle and West Ham – was that dozens of scouts had arranged to attend the game, looking for potential loan deals. This is nothing unusual and deemed a great way of getting players in the shop window so’s to speak. There were scouts from all over the place there. Playing him against division two players would not show anything they didn’t already know, so this was an ideal chance. Nothing more, nothing less.
Don’t know enough about Atsu to comment. Just assuming Chelsea must have seen something in him, but he has little chance of breaking through there, when every time a position becomes available they throw huge amounts of money at it.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:15 PM
Comment #8See Saha has handed in a transfer request
Bobbybee
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:19 PM
Comment #9Hi Bill, good to see you didn’t miss the bus home 😉 I think the reason is, for one, it’s a different injury. Wasn’t Gosling a bad knee injury? A double break is far less career threatening and unless his body fails to heal – extremely rare – players come back none the worse. Ben Arfa is a fine example.
Bobbybee
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:23 PM
Comment #10Toonces, hopefully that will put to rest those posters who think he hasn’t got a future here! I’m one of Arma’s biggest fans, but I fully understand Rafa’s thinking. He needs games to progress and if Rafa can’t guarantee him games, then a loan is by far and away the better option.
cyprus
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:24 PM
Comment #11Ed
So Sissoko looks glum in pictures. Man you’re stirring the masses. He’s still our player, our most valuable asset at that. He wants out, ok, fans are pushing him, you ain’t helping. In fact, if he didn’t move, he’d help this team.
Too late of course.
Lilongwe Geordie
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:26 PM
Comment #12Charlie,
Zaha? At Palace? Not a huge fan of his, but he can do a job at this level and is adequate back up in the Prem so could be a decent purchase.
As for Atsu, wouldn’t be my choice of wide man. He can play both wings and through the middle though, so would offer versatility along a front line that looks thin on the ground. Very hit and miss when I have seen him.
Bobbybee
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:26 PM
Comment #13Charlie, he was told to find a new club before the season started, so I’m surprised he’s still there tbh. We need a winger – why not?
Jail for Ashley
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:26 PM
Comment #14Charlie,
It’s easy for people to say forget about Pardew but we can’t the slimy tw@ is up there on our longest serving managers list, five long years we had to endure that dross, no matter what Rafa wins us us Ashley’s reign will always be tarnished for employing that shocking excuse of a manager among many other things.
Toonces
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:26 PM
Comment #15While not career ending it does seem that players who come back from leg breaks and major knee injuries take about a year to actually believe they are better and start playing as if the injury was no longer on their minds. Aaron Ramsey is a good example. He took about 12 months after his return to seem like he wasn’t afraid to get stuck in. Ben Arfa similar in my recollection. I don’t think you can count on a player coming back from this type of injury just on the medical clearance.
cyprus
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:27 PM
Comment #16Rafa,
Don’t forget your shopping list, time running out: winger, CF. Super stars or at least super talents.
Ian Toon
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:28 PM
Comment #17Bobby- Hope you’re doing OK. I see Conte is planning on giving Victor Moses a run at Chelsea. Moses I rate but thought he was not ambitious and happy to go on loan season after season.
Is Arma likely to go on loan at Ipswich? Maybe the absence of ST’s at the toon this weekend could be just the opportunity Arma’s been waiting for. Could be a great opportunity who knows.
cyprus
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:28 PM
Comment #18Agreed toonces
Lilongwe Geordie
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:29 PM
Comment #19Bobby,
It will be a good move (for Arma) if he goes to the right club. I’m confident Rafa will look at that very carefully though, and will speak closely with the managers/clubs who he feels could be the most suitable before making a decision.
Toonces
Aug 25, 2016 at 7:30 PM
Comment #20Bobby – I very much want to Arma succeed. The team needs good talent to come through and he seems to have passed all the tests at League 1 and the England U-19/21 whichever he is at. Especially in the championship we need a player with some real class to come out of the academy and into the first team as we can’t count on buying such a player. This new contract is a boost of confidence from Rafa. Looking forward to Arma taking the next steps! Onwards and Upwards!