OPINION
Newcastle have had a relatively quiet transfer window this summer, but that should change if they snap up the services of Ipswich Town striker Martyn Waghorn.
According to the East Anglian Times, Nottingham Forest are keen on a move for the 28-year-old striker should their potential deal for Patrick Bamford fall through – but Newcastle must act quickly to bring Waghorn to St James’ Park, where he would be the ideal replacement for Dwight Gayle.
Gayle has hardly had the most productive of seasons having only mustered up six goals in 38 appearances in the 2017/2018 campaign, and this must be replaced in the form of prolific hitman Waghorn.
The 28-year-old has scored an impressive 16 goals in 47 appearances, which is a statistic that fares a lot better than that of Gayle’s – albeit in the Championship.
United need a trusted and reliable forward amongst their ranks of whom can act as their main talisman, and unfortunately, Gayle just does not make the cut.
The club needs a striker who can bang in the goals week in week out, and the South Shields-born player is just the man to do that.
He has reportedly gathered a lot of interest from the likes of Middlesbrough as well, and it is easy to see why – however, Newcastle, just round the corner from his birthplace, is where he should be playing his football.
He deserves the chance to be playing in the Premier League based on his recent form, and he would be robbed if he joined a rival Championship club.
At 28, he still has a few years left in him, but it will not be long until he reaches the other side of 30 and has not had a taste of top-flight football.
Under boss Rafael Benitez, he could transform himself into more dangerous, established forward who is capable of taking any opponent on – and the Spaniard must snap him up to replace Gayle, who has seen better days on Tyneside.