Newcastle United should pass on 31-year-old winger.
There is a difference between a big name and a big player and Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez will do well to keep that in mind.
According to a report from Spanish outlet AS, Newcastle are in negotiations with Jesus Navas following his release from Manchester City this summer.
But Benitez should give this one a miss and look elsewhere.
He is certainly has a big profile and he has Premier League, World Cup and European Championsip medals to prove it, but he is no longer a big player.
So much of his game is based on pace and, at 31, he is only going to grow less effective in English football.
Navas, who had a stint at right-back under Pep Guardiola, failed to score or set up a Premier League goal last season and perhaps his influence is already on the wane.
The Spaniard, who has four league goals for City in 123 games, the vast majority of which came from an attacking position, would not be cheap.
According to Total Sportek, he was earning £90k-a-week at Eastlands and even if he took a wage cut at Newcastle, he’d still be on big money at St James’s Park.
Plus, the minimum length of his contract would be three years. Signing him would be a significant investment by the Magpies and he simply isn’t worth it.
If Newcastle want a big season then they’ll need big players, and Navas isn’t one any longer – if he ever was.
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