OPINION
Newcastle United must hijack the reported hunt to sign River Plate playmaker Gonzalo Martinez as he will be a significantly cheaper option to pursue than Cruzeiro midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta.
The Sun reported on Monday that the Magpies were competing with Celtic for De Arrascaeta after his performances for Uruguay at the World Cup caught several clubs’ attention.
According to the British tabloid Cruzerio value their 24-year-old attacking midfielder as being worth £18million and that valuation will no doubt sky rocket as several clubs will probably join the race for him.
While the Magpies and the Hoops are the only ones listed as being in for him right now, given his desire to play in Europe and his World Cup outings then surely it’s only a matter of time before more teams join the hunt for him.
This means the Magpies should forget about signing him as he will likely end up costing an amount that owner Mike Ashley will not be willing to pay.
However there is clearly an obvious cheaper alternative to pursue that will meet Rafa Benitez’s desire to sign a new No.10 for the club ahead of the new season.
Calciomercato reported on Monday that Everton, Tottenham, Lazio and Southampton were chasing River Plate winger Gonzalo Martinez who has a £13.2 million termination clause in his contract.
Martinez, who can be deployed as an attacking midfielder as well as a winger on either flank, is just as an exciting prospect to sign as De Arrascaeta is.
The 25-year-old River Plate player is known for his silky dribbling skills, his deadly ability from set-pieces and his pinpoint accuracy when it comes to crossing the ball to his teammates.
Martinez has racked up 23 assists and 23 goals in the 128 appearances he has made for River Plate in his career and given his strengths he should be able to flourish in the English Premier League.
While the Magpies would face tough competition for the 25-year-old given that they don’t have to waste time negotiating a price and can just match his release clause, they should be able to lure him to St James Park.
Therefore Benitez should forget about signing De Arrascaeta and just focusing on signing Martinez who would be a cheaper alternative to recruit that would be just as good.
