OPINION
Newcastle United are on the hunt for new striker this summer, with the club tabling their first cash bid of the summer for Nice forward Alassane Plea.
The Magpies have seen that bid rejected, with the Ligue 1 club thought to be holding out for £27million, a fee which Newcastle are unfortunately unlikely to stump up.
The club’s transfer record still stands at the £16million they paid for Michael Owen in 2005, and while it would not be surprising to see them break that this summer, the likelihood of them smashing it by £11million is low.
In truth, a £27million deal for Plea would be a huge risk, with the 25-year-old Frenchman having enjoyed just one season scoring 20 or more goals in his career as he netted 21 in 2017/18.
The club will obviously have other players in mind, but they look to have moved on from top January target Nicolai Jorgensen, who plays for Feyenoord.
However, the Magpies must now reconsider their decision to dismiss the 27-year-old Denmark international as a target, with a new report suggesting he could be available on the cheap this summer
As reported by the Chronicle, the Eredivisie club have now cut their asking price for Jorgensen and have begun to offer him around, with the Magpies among those clubs approached.
Feyenoord in fact rejected a £15million bid for Jorgensen from Newcastle in January as they hoped for a good performance at the World Cup, which did not materialise.
It is said that Jorgensen may be considered by the club as a cut-price alternative, and that is exactly what he would be now after this development.
The 6ft 3in hitman [Transfermarkt] would be a solid option up front for the club, with his big frame providing issues for defenders in the air.
The target man has been relatively prolific in the Netherlands, with a record of exactly one-in-two for Feyenoord, with 38 goals in 76 games.
While that will not necessarily translate to the Premier League, it shows that Jorgensen does have a good eye for goal, and would be a good option at a revised lower price.
On top of that his link up play is of a high quality, with Jorgensen adding 20 assists during his time at Feyenoord, and that would increase his effectiveness for the Magpies.
All in all it looks like a no-brainer to go back in with a low bid of around £10million for Jorgensen and see what happens, with Feyenoord looking likely to sell up this summer.
If the club can strike a deal around the £12million mark it would be a fantastic piece of business despite his recent poor form, with Rafa Benitez able to transform Jorgensen into a useful Premier League striker.
