By now nearly every Newcastle fan will be thoroughly well-acquainted with the narrative that has played out on Tyneside during every transfer window in the Mike Ashley reign; expect nothing, receive even less.
Rafa Benitez, in his infinite wisdom, forecasted how United would operate in the recent January window, very publicly stating a month prior that he hoped Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley would release the funds he was promised but unable to spend in the summer in order to strengthen a squad deep in relegation trouble.
In the end the three to four permanent additions Benitez wanted didn’t transpire and he was left to scrap around for loan signings, eventually bringing in Kenedy, goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and Islam Slimani – the latter who is yet to play a single minute for Newcastle due to injury.
Both Kenedy and Dubravka have proven to be upgrades on what Benitez already has at his disposal, helping Newcastle to climb away from trouble, but the deal for Slimani felt rushed and forced by circumstance with Benitez’s desire to bring in an additional striking cover following the loan exit of Aleksandar Mitrovic essentially backing the him into a corner with a limited cache of options.
In layman’s terms, a panic signing.
Truth be told, Slimani was more like the fourth or fifth alternative choice on Benitez’s list after Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge rejected a move to St James’ Park in favour of struggling West Brom and a deal for Nicolai Jorgensen – his priority target – broke down after Newcastle were unwilling to match Feyenoord’s £20 million asking price.
It was widely reported that Newcastle had bid £15m for the Denmark international, whose 21 goals fired the Dutch club to the Eredivisie title last season, and Jorgesen admitted his frustration at the move falling through in an interview with TipsBladet.
“It was a little annoying,” he said.
“Of course it is always nice to know that there is a club that will pay so much money for one, so of course it gave me confidence, but at the same time a little bit of sigh.
“It is of course a big dream for me to end up in such a league.”
Jorgensen’s “dream” to play in the Premier League may eventually play into Newcastle’s hands this coming summer should Benitez decide to revive his interest in the 27-year-old, with a forward or two expected to feature at the top of his shopping list.
As ever, there is a cautionary tale attached to buying strikers for inflated prices from Holland. Luis Suarez and Ruud Van Nistelrooy aside, the majority routinely fail to replicate their prolific rate of goal scoring in the Premier League and generally look unsuited to the demands of the division.
It has resulted in a cursed reputation for any Eredivisie striker who dares sign for a club in the English top-flight, almost as if they are guilty by association. It explains why Benitez’s willingness to replace Mitrovic with Jorgensen in January raised many a sceptical eyebrow on Tyneside.
The 6ft 3in forward clearly has the Benitez seal of approval though. Jorgensen adhered to his blueprint in January and the Spaniard is unlikely to have changed his mind in the proceeding two months, despite a return if just one goal in 12 matches in 2018 for the Dane.
Jorgensen would serve more of a functional purpose as United’s lone striker, a burden he is more than capable of shouldering and Benitez will value his exceptional tactical awareness and capacity to adapt to different systems.
He’s a player the United boss will feel he can build a team around.
Although not particularly quick, Jorgensen combines strong spatial awareness, aerial strength and genuine technical proficiency to make important contributions in the build-up to goals, bringing his team-mates into play and providing a powerful focal point in attack.
“He makes goals, lets people around him play better, delivers plenty of assists. I think Nicolai is a bull’s eye,” Giovani Van Bronckhorst, his manager at Feyenoord, said of Jorgensen.
The United boss is attempting to build a team with the right components in the right places and Jorgensen seems like the perfect fit. He is certainly a better all-round player than Joselu and Dwight Gayle, and has proven he is able to score goals at a steady rate in Holland, averaging a goal every other game.
The saga concerning him highlighted the tight-fisted policy still in effect at Newcastle, but with prices expected to sky-rocket on the back of the World Cup and a shortened summer transfer window, Jorgensen could prove to be a shrewd bargain in the current climate even if it means Ashley must break the 13-year-old club record transfer fee.
It is a gamble worth taking. And, unlike Slimani, he wouldn’t be a panic buy.
