OPINION
After a roller coaster of a campaign which finished with an admirable 10th place finish, it was quite clear what Newcastle United need to do this summer.
Buy a striker.
The Magpies had a hard working squad filled with some good talents, and there was not one player who can be accused of not pulling their weight.
However, while the likes of Joselu and Dwight Gayle tried their hardest up front, their efforts simply were not up to scratch and left Rafael Benitez’s side lacking the cutting edge they so desperately needed.
The Spanish boss tried to fix the issue with a proven striker in the form of Islam Slimani, but the Algerian was blighted by injuries and left the Toon Army wanting much more.
With the transfer window open, getting a centre forward in will be the number one priority, but if the club’s reported targets are true, then they are setting themselves up for failure.
The Chronicle state that the Magpies are keeping a close eye on international trio Alfred Finnbogason, Nicolai Jorgensen and Bas Dost as they mull over a potential swoop for any of the three.
However, while they might have caps for Iceland, Denmark and the Netherlands respectively, their records are hardly going to get Newcastle fans off their seats.
Finnbogason scored 12 in the Bundesliga for FC Augsburg, but six of those came in two of his 23 appearances, showing a lack of consistency up front.
Jorgensen, heavily linked with Newcastle in January after turning out in the Eredivisie for Feyenoord, hit 13 goals in 34 outings, but again failed to score regularly, with just three league goals since the turn of 2018.
Of the trio, Dost has the most impressive record, scoring a red hot 34 goals in 49 appearances, but with the majority of those coming in the Portuguese top flight with Sporting, there is no guarantee he will show the same form in England.
Newcastle need a proven goal scorer more than anything, and trying to find a bargain overseas is just setting the club up to struggle once again – and without goals, it could be a disaster of a year.