It isn’t a secret that Niko Kranjcar is out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur and this could be to the benefit of Newcastle United when the January transfer window opens for business. The Croatian can operate on either wing, cutting inside to unleash a shot or through pass and he can play in the centre of midfield. The latter is probably his most preferred position, although with a centre midfield that is already stocked up for the season, it seems likely Kranjcar would be situated to one of the wings. With the loss of Hatem Ben Arfa to an overzealous challenge from Nigel De Jong for the foreseeable future, it would seem sagacious to invest in a player of Kranjcar’s quality, especially when the price would be a nominal fee in all likelihood. Kranjcar only set Tottenham back £2 million, which was a thrifty purchase from the sinking vessel that was Portsmouth, leaving other club supporters bewildered and wondering how it had happened without any interference or rival bid.
Whilst Newcastle’s midfield contains hardened, robust and determined characters such as Joey Barton, Alan Smith, Cheik Tiote, Danny Guthrie and Kevin Nolan, we lack creativity and that spark of innovation that certain players have to unlock defences in times of need. The only exception would be Jonas Gutierrez and Ben Arfa would have fallen into this category were it not for his injury. When teams have an abundance of one form of player they can find themselves becoming too reliant on that style of play, it may be observed in Arsenal, Stoke, Blackburn and others when goals don’t seem to be forthcoming. There is then attributed to this a lack of a back-up plan in which to revert when the natural style of play breaks down, becomes defunct or too predictable. Newcastle would make a positive step forward in acquiring a player of Niko Kranjcar’s ability, as when we have struggled to dissect teams it becomes apparent that we lack someone of whom we can turn to in times of need. This someone is needed to try the extraordinary, throw caution to the wind and have confidence in the things they attempt for they possess an excellence that can pull them off.
With Spurs having deemed Kranjcar surplus to requirements and Everton being linked with the player as well, it seems as though Newcastle should make a fair effort to acquire him. After having bought Leon Best, who hasn’t shown the necessary traits in order to stamp any authority over playing in the Premiership, we need to invest in more attacking options of quality. Kranjcar’s passing, shooting, positioning and above all technique, suggest that he would be a panacea to the trouble of how to gain another facet of play. Whether Kranjcar would see the move to St. James’ Park as a beneficial one seems the only possible problem in seeing him pull on the black and white jersey.
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