Newcastle United have plenty of pacey options in attack – meaning Scott Arfield was better off staying at Burnley.
Burnley fans know exactly what they are getting with Scott Arfield. The Canadian midfielder has made 177 appearances for The Clarets since arriving in 2013 from Huddersfield Town and, while he is no longer one of the first names on the team-sheet, the 28-year-old is as reliable as ever.
It’s fair to say goalscoring, however, is not at the top of Arfield’s skillset. In 68 Premier League appearances in Burnley colours, the former Falkirk man has hit the back of the net just three times.
Therefore, it was not just the scoreline that caught the eye when Burnley went a goal up away to Liverpool on Saturday, but the goalscorer too. A coolly taken side-foot finish gave Sean Dyche’s side the lead as they went on to take a point from Anfield after previously impressive results at Chelsea and Tottenham.
And Arfield’s performance was well timed, considering that it was only his second Premier League start of the season and Burnley now have the financial backing to bring in bigger name players in his position.
The 11-time international, however, is still very useful at Turf Moor. Perhaps more so than he would have been had he joined Newcastle United this summer.
The Mail reported back in May that The Magpies were interested in a surprise move, with Arfield’s versatility and Premier League experience likely reason why Rafael Benitez would want to bring him to Tyneside. However, it’s difficult to see where Arfield would have fit in with Matt Ritchie and Christian Atsu enjoying a fine run of form out wide for Newcastle and summer signing Josh Murphy waiting in the wings.
Arfield may not be a regular at Burnley this season but there’s little reason to believe the grass would have been greener further north.
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