OPINION
Saturday afternoon sees a huge clash at the bottom of the Premier League table when Newcastle United play host to Cardiff City, the Bluebirds just one point ahead of the Magpies with the latter sitting in the relegation zone.
It is a game which sees two of the top flight’s lowest scoring sides go head to head but with Rafael Benitez’s men holding a much better record when it comes to goals conceded, the St James’ Park faithful would have been feeling pretty confident about their chances of keeping Neil Warnock’s side at bay.
That was until Sky Sports reported that the Welsh outfit were closing in on the signing of Nantes striker Emiliano Sala, whose 12 goals this season will be a huge boost to Cardiff’s chances of survival, with a deal said to be hoped for before Saturday’s game.
After seeing Ciaran Clark and Jamaal Lascelles limp off against Blackburn, the thought of facing an in form striker is the last thing the Toon Army wanted – but they have surely been handed a huge boost with a cryptic dressing reveal at Nantes.
The French side, who play Nimes on Wednesday night, posted a video from their dressing room on their official Twitter account of a shirt with Sala’s name on the back, suggesting he is set to feature for the Ligue 1 outfit and that he is not as close to a Cardiff move as thought.
Vestiaire ??#NOFCN pic.twitter.com/HXRKqhmUtd
— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) January 16, 2019
Cardiff have looked toothless at times this season and without Sala are surely going to struggle to rectify that against a resolute Newcastle backline, which is without a doubt the biggest strength of the Magpies this season.
It is a fascinating twist in the transfer saga but the Toon Army will not care one bit – they just want to beat the Bluebirds and climb up the table and this will boost their chances.