Salomon Rondon is Rafa Benitez’s number one Newcastle target, according to the Shields Gazette, but buying him would be a mistake that could serious jeopardise the club’s Premier League status.
Yes, a new striker is needed at St James’ Park, but Rondon is not the answer.
You’ve only got to look back at Benitez’s deal for Joselu last summer as proof.
You have to feel for Benitez. He is desperate for goals but is short on money and simply can’t compete with other Premier League clubs.
It’s what pushed him into a deal for Stoke City’s Joselu in a £5million deal which netted Newcastle just four goals in 32 games.
Joselu hadn’t delivered at Stoke and it wasn’t a major surprise when he didn’t deliver at St James’ Park.
So why Rondon?
Well for one reason, he’s affordable – a £16.5million relegation release clause puts him on the list of strikers that Benitez can afford.
But the 28-year-old has only scored 28 games in 120 games for West Brom – and that stat alone should be a huge red flag.
Newcastle can’t afford to waste money on another striker who will struggle to get into double figures in the Premier League.
He scored seven in 36 league games for West Brom as they were relegated.
Benitez is a god in Newcastle, and rightly so, but his track record of signing strikers is not good and if he persists in bringing Rondon to St James’ Park, it could be a fatal mistake.
Even Mike Ashley is unsure of the deal, despite the cost – at 28, he’s worried that the player will not have any resale value after a long-term deal.
With Ashley it’s always about the money but he might be right this time around.
