Antonio Barreca won’t be returning to Newcastle any time soon.
According to Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, Monaco left back Antonio Barreca is set to join Genoa after his uneventful loan spell with Newcastle United.
Barreca, 24, joined Monaco last summer in a deal which saw Soualiho Meite join Torino, but the move hasn’t worked out for the left back.
He struggled for playing time under Thierry Henry at Monaco, and headed out on loan in January, joining Newcastle United until the end of the season.
Initially seen as a player who could fit into Rafael Benitez’s 5-4-1 system as a left wing back, Barreca will ultimately go down as one of the most forgettable Newcastle signings in recent times.
The Italian remarkably managed to play just four minutes in a Newcastle shirt, coming on for his debut against Tottenham Hotspur just days after signing – and wasn’t seen again.
Barreca quickly became a forgotten man at St James’ Park, and with no chance of a permanent deal even if Benitez stays, he’s now returned to Monaco.
It’s claimed that Barreca will now move on to join Genoa on Monday in a permanent move, and he’ll be hoping to get his career back on track in Serie A.
With Barreca flopping and heading elsewhere, Newcastle still need to bring in another left back this summer, and whether it’s Benitez or another manager, they’ll desperately hope he’s better than Barreca.
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