Newcastle have held talks over Maia deal – is he needed?

Newcastle have held talks over a potential January swoop for Lille midfielder Thiago Maia. 

According to Le10Sport, Maia turned down the chance to sign for Newcastle in the summer but is considering a loan switch in the next transfer window.

The report claims that he is debating whether to sign for Genoa on a permanent deal or join Newcastle on loan and earn a higher salary. 

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Is he needed? 

Yes. We have seen over the last two games that Steve Bruce is missing Sean Longstaff massively in midfield, with Jonjo Shelvey failing to step up to the plate against Liverpool or Watford.

There is not enough quality in depth in the central midfield position and Maia could come in and add a competitive edge. The 22-year-old has been capped by Brazil at various age levels and played 63 games for Lille over the last two seasons in France. 

The defensive midfielder could add further steel to Newcastle’s midfield and, perhaps, allow Bruce to adopt more of an attacking style going forward – as he would have a solid base in the form of Isaac Hayden and Maia, who could win the ball back and allow the attackers to have the freedom they need to perform.