Mohamed Simakan was one of the latest exciting talents to be entranced by the allure of Saudi Arabia this summer.
Newcastle United, Christian Falk notes, did knock on the player’s door in the window, though simply couldn’t compete with the financial prowess of the Saudi Pro League.
“The Premier League did knock at Mohamed Simakan’s door this summer. It was Newcastle again, but Leipzig wanted €40m,” the Bundesliga reporter wrote in his Fact Files column for CaughtOffside.
“In the end, it didn’t get concrete because it was too much for Newcastle, which is why Leipzig decided to sell him to Saudi Arabia. If he’d been a little cheaper, Newcastle were certainly an option on the table. In the end, the financial power of Saudi Arabia won out.”
Arne Slot’s Liverpool were credited with some interest in the defender back in August, though a move failed to materialise, despite the Reds saying their goodbyes to Sepp van den Berg and Joel Matip.
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What would Simakan have brought to Newcastle?
The Frenchman’s stats indicate he’s a monstrous attacking threat, registering in the 98th percentile for shot-creating actions (what FBref describes as ‘the two offensive actions leading to a shot’ like a pass, take-on or drawing a foul).
His pass completion rate could do with some work (ranks in the 36th percentile) but Simakan’s ability on the ball is otherwise remarkable. In Europe’s top five leagues, the 24-year-old ranks in 94th and 87th percentiles for progressive carries and successful take-ons respectively.
Fabian Schar, by comparison, ranks in the 75th and 83rd percentiles for the latter two metrics. Lloyd Kelly, Dan Burn and Sven Botman are far from being as impressive statistically in these areas.
A shame then for the Magpies to miss out on such a talented centre-back option owing to the comparative financial might of Al-Nassr.