Achraf Lazaar’s agent has confirmed that the winger wants to return to Newcastle United after a shocking spell on loan at relegated Serie A club Benevento.
Lazaar, 26, made just nine appearances in all competitions for Benevento and has not taken to the pitch since November.
Now, the left-winger’s agent Roberto De Fanti has announced that his client will reject any other club in order to play for Rafa Benitez at St James’ Park next season.
“Lazaar has a contract until 2021 with Newcastle, he wants to return to play for Benitez and he intends to refuse all the other destinations,” said De Fanti, as quoted by Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb.
OPINION
The last few years of Lazaar’s career have been utterly forgettable and his loan spell in Italy proves that he should not be anywhere near the Newcastle first team next year. With three years left on his contract, Benitez should look to sell the left-sided flyer on a permanent basis or look to terminate his contract. It’s a brutal decision, but there’s no point in having deadwood like the 17-times Morocco international around, especially as he has made just 10 appearances across all competitions for the Magpies since signing for them in 2016 from Palermo. Benevento finishing rock bottom of Serie A proves that Lazaar is nowhere near good enough in terms of quality and if he could not hack it in the Championship with Newcastle, he never will in the Premier League. It’s hard to see any top-flight team from Europe’s major leagues having interest in Lazaar, so maybe Serie B is his best bet.