OPINION
Southampton, Crystal Palace and Cardiff are all interested in signing former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, according to the Mirror.
But it’s their Premier League rivals Newcastle United who could do with the burly Bosnian the most. Rafael Benitez’s side have struggled for inspiration up front this season and they must make a push for the Roma frontman.
The Mirror’s report claims that Dzeko is interested in a return to English football, and with that being the case the Magpies are surely the prime destination for him.
Despite the offensive struggles of the trio of teams listed above, Newcastle have the greatest need of a quality frontman and are easily the biggest club of those reportedly interested in the player.
Since moving to Rome, Dzeko has been incredibly prolific, and he showcased his quality again on Monday night with a brace for his country against Northern Ireland in the UEFA Nations League.
Were the two-times Premier League winner to join he would instantly become the most clinical frontman on Tyneside, possessing a goal record that Salomon Rondon, Joselu and Yoshinori Muto can only dream of.
His ability to hold the ball up is just as good as Rondon’s, while his technical ability far surpasses any of Newcastle’s current frontmen. At 32 years of age he is no spring chicken, but his game has never relied on pace and he is still scoring with regularity in Serie A.
In fact, his age is the one thing that would enable Newcastle to sign him. If he was five years younger he’d be far out of their price range, but with veteran status comes a reduced transfer fee.
He may still be out of their price range of course, such is Mike Ashley’s frugality, but if a team like Cardiff can potentially afford him then there’s no reason why Newcastle can’t.
Players of Dzeko’s quality don’t come along every day. He is someone that would transform the ailing Newcastle attack, and provide Benitez with genuine hope of Premier League survival.
