OPINION
Newcastle United need to sign a new striker this summer, that much is clear.
The Magpies netted just 39 times in 38 Premier League matches this season, and the need to bring in a natural goalscorer up front is paramount this summer.
However, the club’s desperate requirement for a new forward in turn puts pressure on the recruitment process, with there being little room for error in their decision on who to sign.
And, if the latest name linked is anything to go by, then the club’s recruitment personnel need to get their act together.
As reported by the Chronicle, the Magpies have been keeping a close eye on Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, who have qualified for the Champions League next season with an impressive third-placed finish.
The newspaper claim that Newcastle have been keeping tabs on Croatia international striker Andrej Kramaric, who is attracting attention from Bayern Munich after netting 16 goals this season.
English football fans may remember the 26-year-old from an ill-fated spell at Leicester City which saw him score just four times in 20 appearances over a year-long period.
And this is one of the reasons why Newcastle must bin their interest in Kramaric immediately.
The Croatian was extremely poor for the Foxes, and never really looked like breaking into their first-team despite the hype surrounding him when he joined from HNK Rijeka.
Also, the striker may have netted 16 goals for club and country this season, but is that all that impressive?
His 13 for Hoffenheim came in 42 games, with Newcastle attacker Ayoze Perez ending the season on ten goals in 37 games in all competitions.
The Magpies need a forward who is going to guarantee them at least 15 goals next season, and Kramaric is quite obviously not that man.
He didn’t do it before in the Premier League, and he hasn’t even managed it in what has been, by all accounts, an impressive season in the Bundesliga.
He would, quite frankly, fall flat on his face once again in the Premier League, and the fans at St. James’ Park need a striker who will hit the ground running next season.
The club must take their interest elsewhere immediately.
