Newcastle transfer news: Ravel Morrison close to joining Rafa Benitez’s Championship side

MANCHESTER UNITED outcast Ravel Morrison is set for a sensational return to England with big-spending Championship challengers Newcastle.

The English midfielder is currently on the books at Lazio – and impressed in pre-season matches with two outrageous penalties – but the former West Ham man has failed to feature in the opening two Serie A games of the season and the Toon are ready to pounce.

The playmaker got  just 58 minutes of league football in Italy last season, starting 24 games on the bench and only making it on four times.

But English clubs like Sunderland and Nottingham Forest have not forgotten the natural ability that shocked even Old Trafford legends like Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes and caught so much attention in his early days.

The 23-year-old has used his time away from Manchester to iron out the disciplinary problems that hampered his career in England and is reportedly eager to return to fulfil his potential.

Rafa Benitez could be the ideal man to harness Morrison’s potential and the Magpies’ current run of good form could convince Mike Ashley and the St James’ Park board to add another talent to the squad before Wednesday night’s transfer deadline.