Newcastle have finally made a striker signing, although it’s not the marquee deal that fans were hoping for – and there’s been a mixed reaction to his announcement.
Japan international Yoshinori Muto completed his move after being awarded his work permit for a four-year deal.
He becomes Newcastle’s first ever Japanese player and the club’s fifth signing in a summer transfer window that’s been far from straightforward for manager Rafa Benitez.
The news was announced on the official Newcastle Twitter page on Thursday afternoon.
We are delighted to announce that Japan international Yoshinori Muto has completed a move to Newcastle United after he was granted a work permit at a hearing today. #NUFC pic.twitter.com/eB7qAoxtsa
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 2, 2018
Muto, 26, joins from Mainz in a deal worth just over £9.5million, and he’s scored 20 goals in 66 Bundesliga appearances.
Some Newcastle fans are delighted – a new player is a good thing, after all – with one fans saying he was in dreamland and another saying he thinks Muto will “do bits”.
However, one fan said that accounted for £9.5million and demanded to know where the rest had gone, while another promised Muto he would get support but apologised in advance about how the club would treat him.
Here are the best reactions from Newcastle fans to the club’s fifth signing:
I'm over the moon we have signed this lad however Ashley needs to spend more… where is the rest of the dosh?
— Andy (@andynufcolds) August 2, 2018
YES!!! A NEW SIGNING WE ARE IN DREAM LAND
— ?? Lee ??????? (@Nufc_Lee_) August 2, 2018
So that's £9.5m accounted for. What about the TV money, the gate receipts, the sponsorship, the transfer surplus Rafa has managed to build up? Where's the money gone? #IfRafaGoesWeGo
— Wallace Wilson (@WallaceHWilson) August 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/swrain79/status/1025024627746238464
Hope he does well for us, and I'm sure the #NUFC fans will give him a great welcome/support…but thus far we have basically only replaced outgoing players with similar incoming, no actual overall squad strengthening for a team that was somewhat lucky to finish in the top-half!
— In Oxford (@Oxford_Life) August 2, 2018
I love him already ?
— – (@insightnufc) August 2, 2018
Decent striker?
— Andy (@JonaOnDrums) August 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/McfadyenDan/status/1025007571046948864
OPINION
Poor old Muto. If he’s scanning through the replies to his reveal video on the official Newcastle Twitter page he might be slightly worried about what he’s let himself in for. It’s not Newcastle fans’ fault either. This window has been another torturous one and it’s tough for them to get excited about a deal like this when they were expecting more and bigger names. We hope that Muto does go on to “do bits” and Newcastle. If he does, Benitez will have unearthed another bargain buy.