4 reasons Newcastle are right to pass on Man City’s Sinclair

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew once spoke of his desire to bring more English players to St James’ Park, but those plans don’t include completing a deal for Manchester City outcast Scott Sinclair.

The Magpies have reportedly passed up on the opportunity to sign the former Swansea City attacker, who is keen to depart the Etihad and play more regularly in the Premier League.

Were the Toon right to avoid a move for the midfielder? Here are four reasons why it could be a deal that is best avoided for the north east club.

Newcastle can’t guarantee first team football

The main reason Sinclair is seeking a move away from Manchester City is because of a lack of playing time in the Premier League with the former Chelsea youth star managing just 12 top-flight appearances for the Sky Blues to date.

Unfortunately a transfer to Newcastle won’t necessarily solve that problem, given the fierce competition for places in the Magpies side. With roughly 10 midfield players competing for places, and several strikers capable of playing out wide, Sinclair could be better served elsewhere.

The Magpies have already shelled out on Remy Cabella

More significantly, Newcastle have already shelled out on a winger who is younger and sharper than Sinclair. Remy Cabella cost the Magpies £12m and as such will be expected to play regularly, with the club keen to discover the next David Ginola/Laurent Robert.

Part of France’s World Cup squad and a former Ligue 1 winner with Montpellier, Cabella carries a pedigree sadly lacking from Sinclair, whose most notable achievement has come in helping Swansea earn promotion to the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers.

Sinclair’s loan move to West Brom offers a warning

The painful reality is that Sinclair is a shadow of the player that tore up defences for Swansea, with injuries, a lack of playing time and a loss of form all contributing to his alarming downfall.

This was most evident during last season’s forgettable loan spell with West Bromwich Albion, where Sinclair struggled for playing time, reportedly fell out with the manager and ended up having little or no impact. The Baggies may have survived but it was in spite of Sinclair.

The midfielder would never settle in the north east

One of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest concerns when it came to David Beckham was that the Manchester United midfielder would let his headline-grabbing relationship with Posh Spice get in the way of his football career.

While that may be debateable, Sinclair is in danger of doing something similar, having ultimately chosen a move to Manchester City in part because it allowed him to be closer to long-time partner Helen Flanagan. As such, a move to the north east may not be a long-term solution.

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