Rafa Benitez is set to decide whether attacker Adam Armstrong will be part of the senior squad or join up with the academy for the start of Newcastle United’s pre-season schedule, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim that it’s still unknown whether the 21-year-old forward will train with the first team after spending the second half of his 2017/18 campaign on loan at Blackburn Rovers.
The Chronicle report that the Magpies are open to offers for Armstrong but despite scoring nine goals in 21 outings for Blackburn the newly-promoted side are yet to table a bid for him.
OPINION
Benitez should look to make Armstrong a member of the senior squad at least for the start of the club’s pre-season campaign. The Spanish manager only has Joselu and Dwight Gayle as his current attacking options to utilise in this period as Aleksandar Mitrovic is no doubt having a holiday following being at the World Cup with Serbia. Armstrong may be staring at the exit door waiting for a side to come rescue him from St James Park but that doesn’t mean the club should ignore him. The forward would no doubt love a chance to stay at the Magpies and could prove himself to Benitez during the pre-season period in order to change the manager’s stance about selling him. It seems foolish if the manager banishes him back to the academy in order not to witness him play. Armstrong may have been playing in League One with Blackburn Rovers in his latest campaign but given that he is only 21-year-old he still shows enough potential that suggests he is worth keeping at the club.
