Venezuelan hitman Salomon Rondon has confirmed his desire to seal a permanent transfer from West Brom to Newcastle United as he continues to flourish in his loan spell at St James’ Park.
The 71-cap striker joined Rafael Benitez and his side on a season-long temporary spell in the summer, with Dwight Gayle heading to the Hawthorns, and after a difficult spell early on, where he was sidedlined through injury, has gone on to score five goals for the Magpies.
Speaking about his future, Rondon confirmed he would love to stay on Tyneside past the end of his loan spell, but insisted there were greater powers who would decide his fate.
When questioned whether he would like to stay at Newcastle, he told Marca: “Yes, of course. I am very grateful for the effort the club made to bring me in and for the confidence of the coach and the welcome of the fans. For all these reasons I’d like to continue, but we’ll see what happens.”
Opinion
Newcastle fans would love to see Rondon stay at St James’ Park past the summer, for he is looking like the sort of centre forward they have been missing for years. Powerful, hard working and with an eye for goal, he offers a lot to a side who have been lacking any sort of cutting edge in recent seasons and it is easy to see why Rafa Benitez chose to snap him up on loan this summer. Of course, a lot depends on the future of the club – most notably which division they will be playing in next season – and there will be no clear decision made on whether he stays on Tyneside or returns to West Brom until the end of the season. The Baggies will of course be seeking a top price for him after proving his worth back in the Premier League but a swap deal for Gayle, who has been tearing the Championship apart since his own loan move, could help Newcastle get the deal done. One thing is for sure – if Newcastle are able to offer Rondon a contract, he will be penning it sooner rather than later.