OPINION
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez must have been elated when Salomon Rondon bagged his first two goals for the club last Saturday.
However, it remains to be seen whether this will be a regular or rare occurence for the loanee star, especially if the rest of the attack are not completely up to scratch yet.
Ayoze Perez turns his form on and off like a tap, Joselu has been useless, and Ki Sung-Yueng cannot be relied upon to provide the only other source of attacking threat.
This is why the Magpies must hijack Everton’s pursuit in Benfica attacking midfielder Andrija Zivkovic, who they have registered an interest in signing according to Daily Mail journalist Dominic King.
Everton are interested in Benfica’s Andrija Zivkovic. He’s a Serbia international and plays as a No 10 or on the wing. Marco Silva has been charting his progress, as have other PL clubs. Zivkovic would cost £20m+ ?
— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) November 17, 2018
Since he joined Liga NOS outfit Benfica in the summer of 2016, the Serbia international – who has 13 caps for his country – has gone from strength to strength and has developed into a highly threatening winger.
The 22-year-old would add another dimension to their attack than they already have, possessing the pace that can strike fear into defenders as well as an excellent technical ability.
There is no doubt that Benitez needs to add a few more quality players to his squad to ensure his side of Premier League survival, and Zivkovic is one of those players.
Having the Serbian international provide service to Rondon is just what is needed to get the frontman scoring on a regular basis – and what a lethal combination that would be.
Benitez’ funds for the January transfer window are not yet known, and a record breaking swoop – with the Magpies’ record currently the £16million spent on Michael Owne – would be needed – but he looks to be worth splashing the cash for.
It takes a lot of work to break into the national team at the age of 22, so that is also something that should be admired by United.
All the Magpies need to do now is brush their rivals aside and pounce for the ace as soon as the window opens, and there is no doubt that St James’ Park will roar if they do.