Newcastle United loanee Valentino Lazaro has opened up on his future at the club, amid many questions being asked.
With the Premier League being suspended over the coronavirus fears, there are huge doubts as to whether the season will be able to be finished, meaning the club haven’t quite been able to have the best look at the Austrian international.
In fact, from just four appearances he hasn’t been able to make much of an impact. He has started two, come on in two, and has also been sent off in one. Considering that the Sun are reporting that they can make the loan deal permanent from Inter Milan for around £20m, he hasn’t made the best of impressions, though he might have done better behind closed doors in training.
However, even if he might not be on the top of Newcastle’s wishlist this summer, have the club done enough to make him want to stay? Lazaro opened up to the club about his future within the club’s programme for their postponed game against Sheffield United.
He said: “I’ve had a lot of questions about summer already.
“But what I can say is that I’m fully focused here – I wouldn’t have come here if I wouldn’t be committed to the club. I’m happy to be here, and just focus on that. I’m not really thinking about just my own future right now. I want to help the club achieve their goals and, of course, show myself as well.”
You can understand why Lazaro would want to be precautious about this situation, as he is currently stuck between two clubs and might want to move elsewhere. By putting all of his eggs in one basket – by either saying he wants to go back to Inter or by saying he wants to join Newcastle – he could cut off potential opportunities for himself either way.
That being said, he has hardly been saying the things that Newcastle fans will be wanting him to say if he does stay, but all in all, it is pretty inoffensive.
Being just 23, the former Hertha Berlin player has a lot to give and is clearly a big talent, but he hasn’t really shown enough on the pitch to justify such a hard outlay – even if he does have the potential to be resold for a lot of money due to his age and experience.