OPINION
Newcastle are reportedly close to landing forward Joselu from Premier League rivals Stoke.
Sky Sports correspondent Guillem Balague has claimed on his personal Twitter account that the Magpies are close to a £5million deal for the striker.
Joselu, close to Newcastle for almost £5m, is a big forward good in the air, but better with mobility.Better goalscorer that he shown lately pic.twitter.com/xWbcEfs6Wx
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) August 13, 2017
The 27-year-old moved to the bet365 Stadium in 2015 and endured an average first season in the Premier League.
He was shipped out on loan last season to Spanish club Deportivo and managed six goals in 24 appearances for them.
Good move for Newcastle?
Newcastle look set to pull of a superb deal for Joselu as £5million in the current transfer market is a bargain deal for the striker.
He has suffered a slight dip in form during the past couple of seasons, but could rediscover his best under Rafael Benitez and has still chipped in with a few goals.
The forward has looked very sharp for Stoke in pre-season and many of their fans want him to get a fair chance in the new campaign.
Joselu is very strong in the air and could lead the line well at St James’ Park, while also giving Benitez more options beyond Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The Magpies are going to need goals from all over the park to avoid survival and Joselu should chip in with his fair share if given a chance.
This Is Futbol rating: 9/10
Likely to happen?
Joselu does look set for an exit from Stoke despite a good pre-season and was omitted from the squad for the Premier League opening defat to Everton.
It seems likely he will move to Newcastle and link up with fellow Spaniards Rafael Benitez, Ayoze Perez, Javier Manquillo and Mikel Merino.
The Magpies don’t seem finishes with their summer spending and fans are demanding they bring in some top quality players.
Joselu may not be the first name on their list, but is someone with top-flight experience and should be able to provide a decent goal return.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10