The last thing Hamza Choudhury needed is to see Boubakary Soumare saunter through the doors at Leicester City this summer.
In many ways, the £17 million France U21 international snapped up from Ligue 1 champions Lille is a more complete and cultured version of the man he will now push ever further down the King Power pecking order.
While Choudhury is about as raw and rough-edged as a footballer can be – those reckless tackles and misplaced passes remain just too common for Brendan Rodgers’ linking – Soumare is polished and preened, a man better suited to a side who averaged 53 per cent possession in their Premier League games last season (WhoScored).
Choudhury started just four of those 38 matches and, provided Nampalys Mendy and Wilfried Ndidi stay fit, will begin 2021/22 as Leicester’s fourth-choice defensive midfielder.
Should Leicester City let Hamza Choudhury join Newcastle?
No wonder he is now considering his future, the Northern Echo reporting that Choudhury could push for a loan move before the transfer window slams shut at the end of August.
Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce is a long-time admirer of a player he tried and failed to sign six months ago.
With the likes of Jens Cajuste proving a little rich for Mike Ashley’s blood and with Mario Lemina heading to Nice, Choudhury’s availability has not gone unnoticed on Tyneside.
And, in the eyes of many Leicesterites, Choudhury can only benefit from a season of regular, first-team football in the black-and-white of Newcastle.
After all, it’s not like he’s going to play week-in, week-out with Soumare, Mendy and Ndidi competing for a place in Rodgers’ well-stocked midfield.
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