Newcastle United reportedly passed up the chance to land Viktor Claesson in 2017.
Sweden lost 2-0 to England in the World Cup on Saturday afternoon,, as the two sides battled for an unlikely place in the last four of the competition.
Janne Andersson’s men squeezed past Switzerland in the last 16 last Tuesday, but fell short in Samara as Harry Maguire and Dele Alli headed England into the semi-finals with a 2-0 win.
The Sweden side isn’t littered with star players like the days of old; there is no Zlatan Ibrahimovic, no Henrik Larsson and no Freddie Ljungberg, so much of the focus was placed on their biggest name – RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg.
However, you can make a case that Forsberg wasn’t even Sweden’s best winger in Russia; instead, it was Krasnodar star Viktor Claesson who impressed throughout what must have felt like a home tournament for him.
Claesson, 26, registered two assists in five games for Sweden, and offered incisive play down the right hand side, whilst he would have scored against England but for a brilliant save from Jordan Pickford.
The midfielder – who can play out wide or centrally – not only quietly impressed at the World Cup, but also enjoyed a strong campaign with Krasnodar last term, notching 12 goals and eight assists in 34 outings.
Claesson has been productive without making any headlines, and it’s just a year since Newcastle snubbed the chance to make a move for the Swede, according to The Chronicle.
With Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez in the market for a number 10 or even another winger if Matt Ritchie moves on, Claesson fits the bill perfectly for the Magpies – and his continued productivity for club and country means Newcastle should think again about a bid for him and swoop before they miss out for good.
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