Salomon Rondon has been named Newcastle United’s player of the season, and it’s easy to see why.
The Venezuelan has been a revelation at St. James’ Park since signing from West Brom on loan in the summer, and there have been games where it has felt as if he has singlehandedly dragged the Magpies to all three points.
He is a goalscoring threat, a handful for defenders, and a selfless creator of chances as well. In short, he has shown himself to be a complete forward, capable of spearheading the attack and elevating those around him.
It was little surprise, therefore, when the club announced via Twitter that the striker had been rewarded for his efforts with the accolade.
https://twitter.com/NUFC/status/1126424189253181441
Nobody would dispute that he deserves the award, but surely this is as a clear an indication as there can possibly be that Rondon has to be signed on a permanent deal.
This is black and white, no pun intended.
How can you justify giving a player the honour of being your standout performer for a season and then soundly let him go at the end of it?
It just does not compute.
Hopefully, Mike Ashley pays attention to this latest announcement and heeds its message, but honestly, can he be trusted to?
It would be a typically shambolic oversight from the controversial owner to let the South American slip through his fingers, and you would have to worry about this Newcastle side would perform with Rondon in the squad.
He has to be signed.
