Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam rejected the chance to sign for Newcastle in January, according to Corriere dello Sport, as reported by Sport Witness.
The Magpies were on the lookout for a new left-back last month, following season-ending injuries to both Jetro Willems and Paul Dummett.
Steve Bruce eventually landed Tottenham’s Danny Rose, who admitted in 2017 that he would eventually like to leave the London club to return to the North of England.
However, the England international wasn’t Bruce’s first choice, according to Corriere Dello Sport’s report.
The report (via Sport Witness) claims that Napoli attempted to offload left-back Ghoulam in January by actively offering him to interested clubs across Europe, including Newcastle.
As well as the Magpies, French duo Lille and Marseille also made contact with Napoli expressing interest, but the 29-year old rejected a San Paolo exit.
Newcastle then subsequently looked to Rose instead, signing the Tottenham man on loan for the remainder of the season.
Read Newcastle Verdict
Newcastle arguably got a better deal in landing Rose than they would have got with Ghoulam, with the Algerian having barely played this season.
Ghoulam has only managed five appearances in all competitions for the Naples outfit this season, having missed much of the season with a muscle issue. Rose meanwhile has been a regular for Spurs, playing 18 times for the club this season.
Having played for both Tottenham and Sunderland in the Premier League, Rose has amassed 185 Premier League appearances in his career, two of which have been with the Magpies.
Ghoulam meanwhile would have been coming into the league with zero experience of English football, at a time where Newcastle aren’t home and dry with the threat of relegation still looming.
Through Rose’s match sharpness and his experience in the Premier League, it seems as though Newcastle may have benefited from Ghoulam’s decision to turn down Bruce’s side.
