Achraf Lazaar was not given much of a chance at Newcastle United by former boss Rafael Benitez.
Achraf Lazaar has told CalcioMercato that he will be returning to Newcastle United this summer.
Lazaar appeared to have absolutely no future at Newcastle when Rafael Benitez was in charge, with the left-back expected to be moved on.
However, Benitez has now departed and Lazaar still hasn’t been sold by Newcastle.
It means that the Moroccan now may just have hope of staking a claim for a place again at St. James’ Park.
And Lazaar’s comments suggest that he is focused on trying to impress the new manager at Newcastle.
“I have finished the holidays, now I go back to Newcastle,” he said.
“In the coming days, I will start training for the new season. Will I go back to Italy? Now there is nothing, I think only of Newcastle. Genoa? There was a concrete interest but in the past.”
Lazaar was loaned out by Newcastle towards the back end of last season, with Sheffield Wednesday taking him.
The full-back did reasonably well at Wednesday, which suggests that he could have a part to play in English football.
Whether Lazaar is actually good enough to make the step up to Newcastle’s first-team remains to be seen though.
Newcastle are in need of a left-back to offer competition to Paul Dummett, but Lazaar has never really been given the chance to prove that he is good enough to do so.
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