OPINION
Newcastle United must pull off an audacious attempt to re-sign Luuk de Jong from PSV in the January transfer window, with the centre-forward in devastating form for the Dutch giants.
De Jong, 28, spent the second half of the 2013/14 season on loan at St James’ Park, but failed to score a single goal in 12 appearances before he was sent back to Borussia Monchengladbach.
However it is now fair to say that the Netherlands international is a completely different beast all together now with the PSV hotshot in devastating form not only in the Eredivisie, but also the Champions League.
Across all competitions this season, de Jong has scored 14 goals and supplied five assists in 19 appearances.
The ex-Magpie loanee has even scored on two occasions in his side’s Champions League clashes against Tottenham, so he has scored more goals in two outings against Mauricio Pochettino’s men on his own than Newcastle have done in their last three meetings with Spurs.
De Jong is a super-reliable source of goals now and he is the kind of striker who could lead Newcastle to safety if Rafa Benitez was able to sign him up in the winter transfer window.
Even Mike Ashley must agree that a player like de Jong, in the form he is in, is worth the money and could be the difference between relegation and survival.
PSV are very likely to crash out of Europe over the coming weeks with Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona all looking as though they will finish above them in their Champions League group, so there probably won’t be any Europa League action for the Dutch champions and de Jong.
That means de Jong has no good excuse to avoid having a second chance to make a name for himself in the Premier League and even though he failed once on Tyneside, St James’ Park would erupt with glee if Benitez was able to seal a return for the in-form finisher.