OPINION
Everyone knows by now that Newcastle United are in dire need of a striker and that Rafa Benitez is on the lookout for one in January.
There is one player that their search must lead to – and that is Parma attacker Gervinho.
He operates largely as a left-winger, but he has proven in the past – most notably for Arsenal – that he is more than capable of being just as effective down the middle.
An experienced player who has a proven record may just be the answer to all of Benitez’ problems up front – and that is why United must hijack West Ham’s interest in the 31-year-old.
According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, the Hammers are interested in bringing the former Premier League hitman back to England – but Parma are less keen on the idea of him leaving.
Newcastle have never been infamous for heavy spending in transfer windows, but this time around, they may need to break their current transfer record in order to convince Parma to let Gervinho join forces.
The Magpies need a goal scorer that they can rely on a regular basis, as at the moment, their current crop is letting the team down hugely.
Joselu has hardly been firing on all cylinders, Salomon Rondon has been injured, and Yoshinori Muto has not had enough time to hit the ground running.
This season, Gervinho has netted three goals in six games for Parma, which is not a bad return at all – and this is something that Benitez must take advantage of.
Yes, Gervinho may not be as potent in front of goal as he used to be, but the ace would certainly bring the extra edge in attack that Newcastle so desperately need – and when United’s creative players are on form, he would be receiving chance after chance.
They must blow their league rivals out of the water to land Gervinho in January, as he will transform the team in an instant.