OPINION
Former Crystal Palace winger Bakary Sako has agreed a deal in principle to join Championship side West Bromwich Albion, according to Sky Sports.
And with Newcastle United struggling for an attacking output – or any real quality – on the wings, it seems bizarre that the club haven’t made a move for the jet-heeled Mali international.
The 30-year-old showed in flashes during his time with Palace that he has the quality to be a Premier League player, enough for the Eagles to offer him fresh terms, according to Sky’s report.
Sako decided to leave Selhurst Park this summer, and he would have represented an ideal purchase for Newcastle. Rafael Benitez has found himself low on options on the wing this season, proving that Sako would’ve been a useful signing.
The likes of Kenedy, Christian Atsu and Jacob Murphy have all failed to impress for the Magpies, while Matt Ritchie has put in a few decent shifts but isn’t a world beater on the wing.
Sako was never really given a consistent run in the team at Palace, and suffered heavily with injuries in his final season with the club.
However, the Malian still managed to register six goals in just 718 minutes of football [Source: Transfermarkt], which equates to a goal every 120 minutes, which is extremely impressive for a wide man.
This is an area of massive need for the club, so it’s strange that Benitez seemingly never took an interest in the talented former Eagle.
It couldn’t have been about money because Sako is available on a free. He perfectly fits the Mike Ashley, money-saving business model.
You just get the feeling that Newcastle have made a colossal error, and that’s being proven by the struggles of the club’s current wingers.
Surely Newcastle supporters would have preferred the club to have taken a gamble on Sako than persist with the likes of Atsu and Murphy.
The Mali international will surely go on to have a fine career with West Brom, giving Newcastle fans a case of what might have been.
