Anyone still remember Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa? The Frenchman joined Newcastle back in January 2013 for a reported fee of £7m, with suggestions that the Magpies had to fend off interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal for his signature.
So it was no doubt seen as a major coup that the France international chose to commit his future to Tyneside, with the defender having captained his former club Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title back in the 2011/2012 campaign.
Unfortunately for him, things did not pan out as well for him at St James’ Park. He ended up playing just 46 times in the 18 months that he was at the club, and never seemed too comfortable in a Magpies shirt – it certainly didn’t help that then Newcastle manager Alan Pardew seemed insistent on playing him out of position at full-back (as per Transfermarkt, 16 out of his total games came in those unfamiliar roles).
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Standing at just 6 foot, Yanga-Mbiwa wasn’t the typical Premier League centre-half, and it may have played a part in Pardew’s decision to not use him in his natural role. And it’s exactly the kind of problem that the Magpies would face if they swoop for Real Betis ace Aissa Mandi this summer.
According to Foot Algerian, Newcastle are interested in luring him away from Spain and to St James’ Park. But like Yanga-Mbiwa, his style of play and characteristics don’t seem to be the best fit for English football.
Like the Frenchman, he is rather short for a centre-back, at just one inch taller than six foot, and he wins just two ground duels and two aerial duels per game – but in actual fact it’s his versatility that makes such a move actually more worrying.
Despite predominantly playing at the heart of defence throughout his professional career, he has racked up 89 games at right-back, and there will no doubt be some temptation to utilise him as a starting option at full-back. But as the Magpies have previously seen with Yanga-Mbiwa, throwing centre-backs out to the flanks can leave them brutally exposed to much quicker wingers in one-on-one situations.
Newcastle would do well to learn from their previous mistake, and avoid making a swoop for someone who may not be cut out for the Premier League.
