Newcastle United are in pole position to sign West Brom striker Salomon Rondon, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper’s live transfer blog (3.39pm) claims that Baggies boss Darren Moore will lose the Venezuela international this summer if his £16.5million release clause is triggered following their relegation to the Championship.
The Mail claim that Newcastle are ahead of West Ham and Cardiff in the race for powerhouse Rondon, who scored 10 goals in 40 matches in all competitions in 2017-18.
OPINION
Rondon can be an absolute handful for defenders and has a strong Premier League record to prove it. Since joining West Brom from Zenit St Petersburg in 2015, the Venezuela international has a one-in-four goalscoring record of 28 from 120 appearances, including 10 in 40 matches in 2017-18. Not earth-shattering numbers, but Rondon is more than just a goal poacher. He holds the ball up superbly, brings others into play and provides an excellent outlet for teams up against the pump. On his day, with his rock-solid physique and excellent back-to-goal technique, he can be unstoppable. It is a measure of his ability that defenders hate playing against him. Newcastle fans might not get too excited about signing Rondon, but he offers something different to what they already have, taking pressure off teammates in a way that Dwight Gayle, Joselu and Aleksandar Mitrovic are unable to do, with their more quicksilver styles of play.
