Age: 25 Club: Roma Nationality: French Estimated market value: £5.5 million Club Appearances (Current, League): 13 International Caps: 4 He shouldn't need to be a player Newcastle could target this summer because he should still be on their books - but Roma's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa would a brilliant addition to the Magpies defence. The four-cap France international captained Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title in 2011-12 and moved to Newcastle with a big reputation in 2013. Unfortunately it took Yanga-Mbiwa time to settle into the physical demands of the Premier League - but he was discarded far too prematurely. At six-foot he is not the tallest, but Yanga-Mbiwa is adept on the ball and he can fill in at full-back, although this is not his natural position and he was often unfairly judged on his performances there. Pairing him alongside Fabricio Coloccini was also a disaster as both were too similar, but Yanga-Mbiwa did form a decent partnership for a period with Mike Williamson. Since leaving for Roma, Yanga-Mbiwa has made 13 Serie A appearances and has even featured in the Champions League. Newcastle meanwhile have been plummeting down the Premier League table and conceding goals for fun. There is no doubt the Magpies would be stronger if they still had the 25-year-old in the dressing room. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCultureNUFC on Twitter and Facebook.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
