It’s fair to say that Sean Steur’s first few months at Newcastle United have been something of a rollercoaster affair.
Signed in something of a surprise deal from Ajax in the summer for €23.5m, the youngster has had to adapt quickly to life at St James Park.
He’s already wracked up 10 appearances in all competitions – seven in the Premier League and three in the EFL Cup – but they have only been worth 331 minutes in total.
Convincing Matthias Jaissle to give him a start has not been easy. To date, Steur has only started two Premier League games, against Liverpool and Hull City, and one in the cup. Each of his other appearances have all been from the bench.
Varied opinions
That’s led to something of a varying opinion of the 18-year-old.
Some are convinced that he will be a star of the future, some are convinced it’s money down the drain. The more rational are waiting to see how Newcastle’s plan to focus on youngsters develops before taking a stance.
The last few weeks have certainly not been kind. Jaissle currently prefers Nico Gonzalez, Joelinton, Joe Willock and Jacob Ramsey.
That’s led to Soccer News raising an interesting query. Could a loan spell back in the Eredivisie be the best route forwards, at least temporarily?
They say that clubs like Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar could all be options for the young midfielder in such a scenario. They would all guarantee him the regular football that he wants, and needs at this point in his development.
Fans wouldn’t be happy
The only downside to such a move could be the reaction from Newcastle fans.
They remain rather fond of the summer signing and have shown that in recent weeks. Soccer News even say that the youngster is ‘quite popular’ among the Magpies fanbase.
So, a loan deal away, even until the end of the season, might not go down well. But the idea is being floated back in the Netherlands, where Steur’s lack of minutes at Newcastle isn’t going unnoticed.
Any move, or even Newcastle thinking about it, will likely be determined by what comes in the next few weeks.
The buys winter period is just around the corner. With an increased calendar, Jaissle will have to rotate at some point. If Steur can’t make his way in then, it would be surprising if a loan deal in January doesn’t become a distinct possibility.
