A huge Newcastle United claim has been dropped regarding Fabian Schar’s future at St James’ Park…
What’s the talk?
According to i News reporter Mark Douglas, the centre-back is eager to put pen to paper on a contract extension with the club.
The report claimed that there have been positive talks between the two parties in the midst of interest from clubs in Serie A. It is said that the Swiss defender’s wages will not be an issue for PIF as they attempt to prevent him from leaving for nothing at the end of his current deal in the summer.
Elation
This news will surely leave Eddie Howe elated, as keeping Schar heading into the 2022/23 campaign will be a major boost to his Newcastle squad.
The Switzerland international is now in his fourth season for the Magpies and is currently a regular starter alongside Dan Burn at the back. Schar has started 10 league games in 2022 and only lost two of them, scoring one goal and setting up another whilst helping his side to record three clean sheets, which shows the impressive form he is enjoying at the moment.
In the 2018/19 campaign, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 as he scored four goals in 24 top-flight appearances. The centre-back averaged a whopping 5.3 tackles and interceptions per game in that campaign as he showcased his defensive prowess for the Toon.
He is a proven Premier League performer who also has the ability in possession to be a part of a progressive system moving forward. As per FBRef, he ranks in the 91st percentile for attacking touches, 81st for dribbles completed, 97th for assists and 82nd for shot-creating actions amongst centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days.
This shows that he has the quality in possession to do more than just clear danger and worry about the next attack to defend. For example, Jamaal Lascelles ranks in the 12th percentile for dribbling, 30th for assists and 12th for shot-creating actions, as per FBRef, suggesting that he is not as influential in possession in comparison to Schar.
Therefore, Howe will be buzzing to retain the 30-year-old, and this news suggests that the defender will be staying at St James’ Park beyond the end of the current season. The ex-Bournemouth coach will surely be eager to lean on him again at the heart of his defence next term, both for his out-and-out defending and his use of the ball to build attacks for Newcastle.
AND in other news, NUFC eye £49.5m-rated “phenomenon” who’s a “work of art”, he’d ignite St James’ Park…