With Saudi Arabia’s majority financed takeover of Newcastle United ticking towards completion, attention remains fixed on recruitment.
Rumours about some of football’s biggest names turning out at St. James’ Park continue to swirl as the £300 million purchase awaits Premier League approval. Intrigue in the Arab world, however, has centred on how this process could impact the future of some of the MENA region’s finest.
We’ve assessed a series of potential candidates who either hail from the area or represent their international sides:
EUROPE
Youcef Atal (Nice)
Transfermarkt.com value: €20m
Atal has everything a ‘new-look’ Newcastle should desire.
The 23-year-old right-back is blessed with searing pace, phenomenal talent, impressive desire and a winning mentality exhibited in Algeria’s drive to 2019 Africa Cup of Nations joy.
Playful parallels to Barcelona great Dani Alves are not without, some, substance.
There are some uncertainties about a possible deal. Atal has not played competitively since December’s serious knee injury and L’Equipe report that Nice have no intention of selling this summer.
This medical problem may, though, provoke reticence for the likes of Chelsea – linked to a £35m switch by The Telegraph in April 2019 – and Tottenham. A successful operation, then, would be a marker of the Public Investment Fund’s intentions.
Suitability rating: 7/10
Youcef Atal (r) (EPA).
Noussair Mazraoui (Ajax)
Transfermarkt.com value: €9.5m
A smart deal could be there to be made for Newcastle this summer.
Mazraoui boasts experience of the Champions League’s knockout stages – distinctly absent in the current Magpies squad – and has been schooled in football’s finest finishing school. United States teenager Sergino Dest’s rapid ascent limited minutes for Ajax in 2019/20, provoking thoughts about a change of environment.
Allied with the financial implications of the Eredivisie’s curtailed campaign because of coronavirus, a move worth approximately €10m should be in the offing.
Competition from Lazio, according to Corriere dello Sport, should not provide too much of an obstacle for the right-back. The Moroccan looks more achievable than Atal.
Suitability rating: 8/10
Noussair Mazraoui (c).
Mahmoud Trezeguet (Aston Villa)
Transfermarkt.com value: €8m
Links to the Egypt international began to surface last month, but so much has shifted for Newcastle since.
Trezeguet’s debut campaign at Villa Park contained one assist and three goals in the Premier League. A respectable tally, though not one commensurate to the purported scale of the PIF’s ambitions.
This record is slightly better than fellow left winger Allan Saint-Maximin’s (two goals, one assist). Newcastle, in truth, need far more than both offer if they intend to gatecrash the Champions League at haste.
Suitability rating: 2/10
Mahmoud Trezeguet (l).
SAUDI ARABIA
Mukhtar Ali (Al Nassr)
Transfermarkt.com value: €450,000
Neither Abu Dhabi’s City Football Group at Manchester City or Qatar Sports Investment’s Paris Saint-Germain have witnessed their investment transform into opportunity for national players.
The strength of the Saudi domestic game, however, provides a chance to strike a different path. Ali is an intriguing prospect in this regard.
The 22-year-old was born in Jeddah, yet spent nearly a decade in Chelsea’s industry leading academy alongside the likes of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham. London is, also, still where his family call home.
A breakthrough 2019/20 has witnessed him excel next to Petros at the base of the Saudi Professional League holders’ midfield, plus shine for Saudi Arabia’s Under-23s.
Instant results could not be expected, yet Ali represents a bright prospect.
Suitability rating: 6/10
Mukhtar Ali (r) (EPA).
Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal)
Transfermarkt.com value: €2.2m
Al Dawsari is, unquestionably, Saudi Arabia’s leading man.
He’s also declared possession of a Premier League offer. Is this from Newcastle, Saudi prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s Sheffield United or someone else?
What cannot be queried is the 28-year-old winger’s ability.
He is blessed with an eye for the audacious, plus able to make a telling impact. Recent goals include the Green Falcons’ 96th-minute winner at World Cup 2018 versus Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, opener in December’s 2-1 Club World Cup semi-final loss to Flamengo and momentum-builder during November’s 2019 AFC Champions League finals versus Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.
His CV, further, includes a cameo substitute appearance against Real Madrid in La Liga when on loan at Villarreal for 2017/18.
Age and a lack of sustained European experience are against him. But will Newcastle conclude a deal, anyway?
Suitability rating: 5/10
Salem Al Dawsari (l) (EPA).
Abdullah Al Hamdan (Al Shabab)
Transfermarkt.com value: €425,000
Al Hamdan is barely out his teens, yet so much is expected from him.
The 20-year-old is a rare example of a Saudi who regularly leads the line for his club – in this case, Al Shabab. A tally of three goals in nine caps is a solid return for Herve Renard’s seniors and showcases his, potential, ability to fill a gap at centre forward not adequately filled since Mohammad Al Sahlawi’s rapid decline before World Cup 2018.
Links to Hilal persist, especially with his contract ending at 2019/20’s culmination. But could the former Sporting Gijon Under-19 loanee be targeted for another European adventure?
The step-up to the Premier League is, however, vast. An unlikely show of faith would be required for Newcastle to take him now.
Mark it down as one for the future.
Suitability rating: 3/10
Abdullah Al Hamdan (c) (EPA).
OTHERS
Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al Nassr)
Transfermarkt.com value: €5.2m
Links between 2019’s 57-goal global top scorer and the Premier League continue to appear.
Tentative rumours in January about Aston Villa have extended to the summer, with Foot Mercato also including Newcastle’s name amid talk of an €18m deal. But what is the reality?
Hamdallah is 29-years old, has never played in a major European league, suffered a number of serious injuries and a difficult relationship with the Morocco national side makes a work permit difficult.
Yet his boxer’s physique, dominant style and awe-inspiring eye for goal make him ready made for the Premier League’s unique demands. Hamdallah appears a superior option to Andy Carroll and Joelinton – but will Newcastle think that way?
Suitability rating: 3/10
Abderrazak Hamdallah (r) (EPA).
Mohammed Al Shamsi (Al Wahda)
Transfermarkt.com value: €325,000
Al Shamsi’s is a name known to few outside the Middle East.
But if there is a desire to invest in emerging talents from the region, his name should feature. The 23-year-old is tall and lithe, plus possesses a notable calm.
These talents have seen him shine across youth tournaments for the UAE and force his way into No1 status for the seniors by this winter’s Gulf Cup.
He is, of course, not yet ready for regular action in the Premier League. Errors are still to frequent for that in the Arabian Gulf League.
Scope for development is key when considering Al Shamsi’s merits, yet his signature would be a substantial gamble.
Suitability rating: 2/10
Mohammed Al Shamsi (back row, 3rd l) (UAE Pro League).
Omar Al Somah (Al Ahli Jeddah)
Transfermarkt.com value: €6.5m
It’s not a nickname he’s fond of, but the ‘Syrian Ibrahimovic’ fits perfectly.
Al Somah is an SPL giant, figuratively and literally. A tally of 160 goals in 177 appearances for Ahli stands alone, yet so do his mastery of technique and strapping technique.
These facets make him seem ideal for the English game. Indeed, only work permit problems scuppered a July 2012 transfer to the Championship’s Nottingham Forest after a successful month-long trial.
Age, again, is an issue. So, too, his contentment in Saudi Arabia.
Al Somah has the ability to succeed in the Premier League, yet that window of opportunities seems to have closed.
Suitability rating: 3/10
Omar Al Somah (r) (EPA).
