Newcastle United defender Florian Lejeune has suggested that he will wait to assess his potential long-term future at the end of his loan spell with Alaves.
Lejeune was sent out on loan by the Magpies in the summer, with the defender making a season-long loan move to La Liga side Alaves. That came despite the Frenchman having been hoping to convince Steve Bruce to make him a firm part of his plans for the season. However, after he was informed that it would be better for him to get minutes elsewhere, he departed for Spain, per Chronicle Live.
The 29-year-old’s first team impact at Newcastle has been limited over the last two seasons, with the defender having suffered a couple of lengthy injuries over the last couple of years. That, and the form of others, meant Lejeune was limited to just six appearances in the Premier League last term, after starting only 12 league games in 2018/19 (Sofascore).
The centre-back’s current deal worth around £38,000-a-week (Spotrac) is set to expire at the end of the campaign, which means both the Frenchman and the Magpies will face a crucial decision over his long-term future when he returns from his loan spell at Alaves, per Chronicle Live.
Speaking to Chronicle Live, Lejeune outlined that the chance to go and work under Pablo Machin again after the pair spent time together at Girona was one of the main reasons behind his loan move. He also stressed he is concentrating on the current campaign before then assessing his long-term future with the Magpies.
“I had been talking to the coach for a long time. I knew him from my time at Girona and we have a very good relationship. That is why the decision to come here was easier.
“”I knew the league and I knew that Alaves were a good team with good players. I also knew the people here and what the fans were like.
“I had done a few weeks of pre-season with Newcastle but I saw my future away from the club. It was a bit complicated and I didn’t play. To only play one game out of 10…I needed some continuity.
“I’m not thinking about next season. Steve Bruce told me that he was going to keep an eye on me but we will see.
“So far, no one has told me anything but I’m not worried about that. I’m only focused on Alaves, winning games and having a good season. That’s very important for the team and for me.”
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Lejeune would likely have struggled to force his way into Bruce’s starting line-up when everyone is fit, but the Magpies have endured some issues with defenders picking up injuries in the opening weeks of the campaign. However, it was clear that the 29-year-old needed to get some regular football under his belt to help him recover from his recent injuries.
The Frenchman is enjoying a very strong start to the season out on loan with Alaves, helping the Spanish side keep three clean sheets in their opening seven matches of the campaign. During those matches he has averaged 2.1 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game (Sofascore).
The defender has obvious ability, he was even labelled as a ‘crucial’ player by Rafa Benitez when he was in charge at St James’ Park. However, it would be a surprise to see Lejeune come straight back into Newcastle’s line-up were he to remain at the club beyond the summer.
