OPINION
With football fans in the UK enjoying the warm summer weather, it appears as though Newcastle United’s transfer business is also heating up.
The Magpies have had a relatively slow start to their recruitment, with Martin Dubravka turning his loan deal into a permanent move and former Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung Yeung joining on a free transfer.
While both are solid signings for the first team, neither are going to get pulses racing among the Toon Army, who are desperate to see some exciting arrivals this summer, especially in attack.
Rafael Benitez’s men were lacking in cutting edge last season with the likes of Dwight Gayle and Joselu leading the line, and a new striker must be among the Spanish manager’s priorities.
It certainly seems that way, with the Chronicle claiming that the St James’ Park outfit have seen a bid rejected for OGC Nice hitman Alassane Plea, who netted 21-goals for his side in the last campaign, while also reporting that fresh talks have been held with the agent of West Brom’s Solomon Rondon.
It is stated that both Plea and Rondon will end up costing the Magpies over £20million each – with agent fees driving the latter’s £16.5million release clause fee up – and if that is indeed the case, then it should be the French forward that Newcastle go all out for.
Rondon might have Premier League experience with 108 top flight appearances, but his record of just 24 goals, 10 last season, leaves much to be desired.
Plea meanwhile, who is said to be attracting a major transfer hunt including Newcastle’s league rivals, is a much more exciting prospect, with both the pace and the physicality to be a real threat to Premier League defences.
He is a consistent goal scorer, with 16 league goals in 35 appearances and four Europa League strikes last season, and would be a massive upgrade to the current options at St James’ Park – the same cannot be said about Rondon.