So far this summer, all the talk around Newcastle United has been about the people that are leaving.
Rafa Benitez has already gone, Salomon Rondon has returned to West Brom, Ayoze Perez is doing his Spain-talking, and Manchester United want Sean Longstaff. The exit door is spinning, and there’s yet to be anyone coming through the other way.
That is except for Achraf Lazaar, who has confirmed he will be returning to St James’ Park this month.
The Moroccan left-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, making four appearances for them between January and the end of the season in an unsuccessful loan spell.
“I have finished the holidays, now I go back to Newcastle,” he said.
“In the coming days, I will start training for the new season. Will I go back to Italy? Now there is nothing, I think only of Newcastle. Genoa? There was a concrete interest but in the past.”
Whether Lazaar has a future at Newcastle beyond this summer is debatable. He joined the club in 2017 but has only made ten appearances for them since then.
Two years of loan spells since then have seen him make 13 appearances in total and not gone anywhere close to reigniting his career either.
Perhaps a new manager at Newcastle will see something him in, but a more permanent move away from St James’ Park seems more likely at this point.
