Eintracht Frankfurt defender Jetro Willems is keen on a potential return to Newcastle when his contract expires with the Bundesliga club, following his time on loan at St James’ Park last season.
Willems was brought into the club by Steve Bruce in the summer of 2019 on a season-long loan from Frankfurt and the Dutchman enjoyed an impressive opening to his time at Newcastle. Unfortunately, his spell at the club was cut short in January after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in a 1-0 win against Chelsea, per BBC Sport.
As a result of the defender’s injury, Bruce decided to bring in Danny Rose on loan to provide left-back cover for the last few months of the season, while the Magpies then brought in Jamal Lewis from Norwich City over the summer. That was despite Willems issuing a ‘come and get me’ plea by claiming it would be “great to be back” at St James Park, per Chronicle Live.
The 26-year-old is into the final year of his contract with Frankfurt and he has yet to feature for them in the Bundesliga so far this campaign as he is still been recovering from injury. He took to Twitter to show he was watching the Magpies in action at Southampton and it is understood he remains interested in re-signing for Newcastle, per Chronicle Live.
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Willems impressed with his performances during the first half of last season for the Magpies, with the Dutchman making 19 Premier League appearances and averaging 1.9 tackles and two clearances per game (Sofascore). He also posed an occasional threat going forward, scoring one goal and providing two assists, as well as making 0.8 key passes per game (Sofascore).
Such form saw him labelled as a player with ‘real talent’ by Bruce and the 26-year-old would likely have been a major transfer target in the summer had he not sustained the injury against Chelsea. The defender has plenty of ability and experience, having won 22 caps for Netherlands, and so would be a very useful option to have once again.
However, the problem is that Lewis is now firmly established in the left-back role and, having just cost the club £15m, it could be unlikely that the Magpies really need Willems. However, the Dutchman can play in a variety of positions and, if brought in on a free, could still have a lot to offer.
