OPINION
Newcastle United need a new striker this summer, that much has been clear for months now.
The January loan signing of Islam Slimani from Leicester City was seen as a potential answer to their problems in front of goal, but that move did not work out at all as planned.
Luckily for the Magpies they had contributions from elsewhere on the pitch in the goal stakes, with Ayoze Perez ending up the club’s top scorer on 10 goals for the season.
The club however cannot continue to rely on contributions from further down the pitch, and they need to bring in a striker who is going to be banging in goals on a regular basis next season.
While many will expect Rafa Benitez to look to break the club’s £16million transfer record this summer, there will also be several bargain deals on the table for the Magpies that he must look to exploit.
As reported by the Chronicle, Hannover striker Niclas Fullkrug ‘can be recruited’ for around £10million this summer, which is peanuts for a Premier League side.
The 6ft 2in front man netted 16 goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga strugglers, who ended up finishing in 13th in the final table.
His 14 goals in the league put him joint-third in the Golden Boot standings, and he will surely be on his way to a bigger club in the coming weeks.
Newcastle would do very well to snap up the 25-year-old themselves, as he could provide a brilliant focal point to their attack next term.
Fullkrug is extremely strong in the air, and his affinity for lay-offs allows him to bring teammates into the game while also scoring goals himself.
That is the perfect combination for a striker at St. James’ Park, with players like Perez and Matt Ritchie thriving off interchanges with their striker.
His physicality would also make the transition to the Premier League slightly easier than other players, and a £10million price tag makes this a deal worth pursuing for the Magpies.
