Fabian Schar doesn't often get mentioned in the 'pound for pound' debate when it comes to the value for money signings at Newcastle United. However, the £3.5m paid back in 2018 may one day turn out to be a truly memorable snip by the Magpies' recruitment team if he continues in this rich vein of form.
Schar is enjoying arguably his best form in a black and white shirt after reviving his Newcastle career under Eddie Howe in 2022. Before the boss took office at St James' Park, the Swiss defender was at a crossroads in his Magpies journey after falling down the pecking order under Steve Bruce.
Rafa Benitez was the man who thought Schar would be worth the small punt back in 2018 and was proven right with the centre-back hitting the ground running upon arrival in England. But Bruce had other ideas and Schar was frozen out under the former Newcastle boss.
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Speaking after Howe's arrival last year, Schar admitted he was looking forward to grasping his second chance as a Magpies player. He has certainly grabbed that chance with both hands and now ranks among one of the first names on the team sheet for Howe.
"It's difficult, you try to show the manager you want to be in the team when the team is not doing too good, we have a difficult start," Schar said in November. "Sometimes I was surprised not to be in the first 11. That was a difficult time, this is a new chapter, and I'm really looking forward to it."
Schar has been at his brilliant best this season while partnering both Dan Burn and Sven Botman. The 30-year-old put in one of his best performances in a Newcastle shirt during the 0-0 draw with Manchester United, enduring bumps and bruises in the process.
Schar and Botman look to be Howe's chosen partnership at the heart of his defence, with Newcastle's looking resilient at the back so far this term. The north east outfit are now also the only Premier League side to have conceded less than 10 goals this season, with only nine scored against them thus far.
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