OPINION
Chris Sutton is adamant that Newcastle United need to sign Salomon Rondon this summer, and he is absolutely correct.
The BBC pundit knows a decent target man when he sees one, and Rondon has proven beyond any doubt that he is a player capable of cutting it at the very top level.
The Venezuelan has been one of the key components in the Toon Army’s steady transformation in recent weeks, and without his goals, it doesn’t beat thinking about where they would be.
Speaking on Radio 5 Live, as quoted by the Chronicle, Sutton suggested that making his loan move from West Brom permanent was a no-brainer.
He said: “Absolutely, he is such an important player for Newcastle. In terms of what he brings to the team – hold up play, link-up, I think he’s great. I think Newcastle if they can get him, then they should get him and pay the money.”
The 29-year-old might appear, on the face of it, to be a fairly simple, meat and two veg hold up man, but his performances this season have shown that he is so much more than that.
Cultured, hard working, capable of the spectacular, Rondon is a well-rounded and dangerous front man with the ability to win a match single handedly by capitalising on the faintest whiff of a chance.
That is crucial if you’re fighting relegation, but equally, is a vital tool when looking up the table as well.
Newcastle should be aiming to push the likes of Watford and West Ham for the upper reaches of mid-table, and Rondon has surely shown that he is good enough to help them realise that aspiration.
He is an all-purpose player, a Swiss Army striker for the Geordie masses, and snapping him up as soon as possible makes perfect sense.
