OPINION
West Brom must cash in on Salomon Rondon next year after it emerged that the centre-forward wants to seal a permanent switch to Newcastle United.
The Newcastle Chronicle has reported that Rondon, 29, is enjoying his loan stay at St James’ Park and would want to agree terms with the Tyneside club in 2019 once his temporary deal expires.
Rondon is currently set to return to The Hawthorns at the end of the season after Albion triggered a one-year extension in his contract, but this report claims that the Black Country club could struggle to afford him if they do not achieve an instant return to the Premier League after relegation last season.
However no matter what happens, whether West Brom go up or miss out on promotion, the club must ensure that Rondon leaves for good because he has been a woeful signing for the club since Tony Pulis bought him for £12million in 2015.
In 120 appearances across all competitions for the Baggies, Rondon has managed to score just 28 goals and you must think that if the side had a more prolific striker spearheading their attack, then they might have avoid relegation to the Championship last term.
He has started slowly at Newcastle as well with just three goals in eight appearances as he has been forced to prove his fitness to Rafa Benitez.
Rondon did score a brace in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth but as every West Brom fans knows, those kinds of performances are a rare treat for someone who was once Albion’s record signing.
It is still quite early in the season for Newcastle to think about signing Rondon but his intentions seem pretty clear, he no longer wants to play for West Brom and while he is a popular guy among the Baggies’ support, he is simply not good enough for them and selling him next summer could free up some funds to sign a real improvement.