Should Aston Villa try sign the Newcastle United winger on loan?
Yasin Ben El-Mhanni has been included in Newcastle United’s Under-23 squad for an upcoming friendly with Darlington.
His very presence in Peter Beardsley’s panel might suggest that the 21-year-old – who had no involvement in the Friday’s friendly victory at Hearts – is not, at this moment, apart of Rafael Benitez’s first-team plans for their Premier League return.
If not, should Aston Villa enquire about bringing him on loan next season?
El-Mhanni has a lot of potential and made his debut in an FA Cup clash for the Magpies earlier this year, but at 21, he needs games and no Championship appearances last season might hint that there is still a lot of work to be done before he reaches his potential.
The Moroccan winger, who doubles for Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo in commercials for football boots due to his skills, could hugely benefit from a full season in the Championship and Aston Villa could do with a bit more attacking talent.
Only three teams in England’s second tier netted less than the Villans’ haul of 47 goals – two of whom were relegated – and Steve Bruce needs creative sparks if his troops are to improve on their 13th-placed finish of last season.
Is El-Mhanni enough to help them reach the Premier League? Not on his own, but there is something very Hatem Ben Arfa-esque about the youngster’s abilities and if the right manager taps into that quality then he could develop into a superb player.
Bruce is a very fine coach, with four Premier League promotions under his belt, and he might fancy his chances of helping El-Mhanni develop at Villa Park.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
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