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Newcastle should show faith in Shelvey rather than launching Mooy raid

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Image for Newcastle should show faith in Shelvey rather than launching Mooy raid

OPINION

It would be fair to say that Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey had a season to forget as injuries and poor form led to him getting frustrated on the sidelines.

He certainly did not have the impact that the Toon Army, nor manager Rafael Benitez, would have been expecting and at times his passing quality, vision and range were sorely missed from the middle of the park.

He has proven his worth as a creative spark in the centre, with the ability to pick out a pass which can carve a defence wide open either along the ground or over the top, the likes of Mohamed Diame and Isaac Hayden much more industrious in comparison.

The Magpies have definitely been crying out for some creativity to feed the forward line and perhaps it should not come as much of a surprise to see Newcastle linked by The World Game with a move for Huddersfield’s Aaron Mooy, with a £14.8million price tag said to be on the Australian international.

Avoiding the obvious comparisons in terms of their appearances, they are similar operators in the middle of the park – which begs the question as to why Benitez would want Mooy on board when Shelvey is still part of the squad.

It is not like the Terriers star is any younger – at 28-years-old he should be at the peak of his career – or offers much different in terms of playing style and with Newcastle’s record of transfer spending, Benitez knows there is no room to spare in his budget – certainly not £14million-plus.

Keeping Shelvey, who has proven how much of a game changer he can be, fit for the season should be his priority, rather than signing someone who could do the same job – leaving him £14million to spend elsewhere on his squad.

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