Achraf Lazaar’s debut season at Newcastle United didn’t exactly go to plan and a return to Serie A with Genoa beckons.
After managing just 37 minutes of Championship football last season, Newcastle United may not have been expecting to earn a profit on Achraf Lazaar.
The misfit Moroccan joined The Magpies after much speculation in a £2.5 million deal from Palermo last summer, as reported by The Chronicle, but quickly fell out of favour under manager Rafael Benitez.
In total, Lazaar made just four appearances in the league, all coming from the substitute’s bench, and his most recent appearance in Newcastle colours came in the embarrassing 3-0 FA Cup defeat to League One Oxford United.
However, Gazzetta dello Sport (17 August, page 10) claim that this has not made Genoa think twice about identifying Lazaar as their number one target to replace the in-demand Uruguayan left-back Diego Laxalt, who has been linked with a move to England but appears to be heading to Atalanta.
The report adds that Genoa want to sign Lazaar on loan for the year with an option to buy clause standing at around £3.2 million. Therefore, despite Paul Dummett’s hamstring injury leaving Newcastle light at left-back, it would be a surprise if they did not snap Genoa’s hand off.
Lazaar has a solid reputation in Serie A on the back of an impressive two years with Palermo, meaning a disastrous year in England’s North East does not appear to have had a negative effect on his market value.
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