Yesterday saw Jose Enrique return to training with his two amigos Coloccini and Gutierrez. Sporting a new hairstyle, Enrique seemed to be enjoying the return to the daily training routine, and looked comfortable in his surroundings. The question is, how long will he be around for?
Anyone who's watched Enrique regularly in the last two seasons knows that he's a quality player. Watching wingers trying to take him on in the Championship was almost embarassing at times, and he carried that form into Newcastle's return to the Premier League. He's easily the best fullback at the club, there's no doubt that he could easily play at the highest level. Which is a problem for Newcastle.
With one year left on his deal, Enrique's situation presents something of a dilemma for the Newcastle management. Last season, Enrique said that he'd wait until we were safe before negotiating a new deal. It's now July, and he remains unenthusiastic. With Liverpool and Arsenal now in the hunt for a new left-back, and reports from Spain that Guardiola would like another option to compete with the defensively-suspect Maxwell and the ageing Abidal, it seems unlikely that Enrique will stay long-term.
The question is this: should Newcastle cash-in now and get a replacement, or get another year of service from him with the likelihood that he'll leave on a free transfer? If we're to sell him, it needs to happen soon, giving us time to get a replacement (the Toulouse left-back Cheick M'Bengue has been heavily linked, along with Swansea's Neil Taylor). If he does go, I would hope to get a sizeable fee. Gael Clichy just went to Man City for 7 million, and he's inferior to Enrique in every department.
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