The Newcastle United star who ‘would be a good signing for Liverpool’ this summer

The Brazilian has been in fine form since Eddie Howe’s arrival last year.
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Former Newcastle United defender Jose Enrique has hailed Joelinton’s improvement over the last year.

The former Hoffenheim forward struggled during his first two years on Tyneside as he struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League.

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But the arrival of Eddie Howe and an unexpected but ultimately successful move into midfield has paid divided as the Magpies boss has been rewarded with a consistently excellent level of performance from the Brazilian.

Enrique described Joelinton’s improvement as ‘incredible’ and admitted he must now be seen as one a real fan favourite at St James Park.

However, he stopped short of following the lead set by another former Newcastle and Liverpool star after Dietmar Hamann recently suggested the Brazilian would be an ideal signing for the Anfield outfit.

He said: “He would be a good signing for Liverpool, but I’m a Newcastle fan as well so I want them to keep him.

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“There are other options Liverpool can sign, Newcastle need to keep hold of Joelinton.  But it was something I don’t think anybody saw coming to see him playing in the midfield.

“The way he’s playing though is incredible, he’s a strange number eight because he’s tall, strong and has that smell for a goal having been a striker.

“He’s really gone for it in terms of his work rate and pressure he puts opposition players under.

“He’s probably been one of the best players since Eddie Howe came in and he’s up there with one of the favourites in the eyes of the fans.

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“Before, a lot of people wanted to get rid of him because they thought he wasn’t good enough for Newcastle.”

Joelinton has quickly become a key player within the Newcastle side under Howe and was a major factor in the rapid improvement made under the former Bournemouth manager during the second half of last season.

Enrique insisted Howe should take credit for Joelinton’s progression and sees now reason why he can’t remain a key figure at St James Park for years to come.

“The change has been incredible, Eddie Howe deserves a lot of credit for it, but the most credit has to go to the player.

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“He had to adapt to the situation, and he had to give everything to prove people wrong and show that he can be an important player.

“Definitely he could be a player in other big teams and even starting in those teams, so a move away could happen.

“But I think it would be very difficult for him to leave Newcastle right now and with the players they’ve signed I think it would be silly for him to leave if he had the chance.

“I believe Newcastle are building something special, so you’d want to be a part of that as a player.”