Newcastle United dished out a brilliant performance in their last match against Cardiff City in the Premier League, winning the contest by 3-0. However, they need to secure similar results on a regular basis to get themselves out of trouble and finish the season in a respectable position in the league table.
The Tyneside club have been in absolute doldrums regarding the financial challenges they are having to face. However, despite the takeover talks being stalled, Rafa Benitez has been reportedly eyeing new players to beef up his squad, one of them being the on-loan Roma striker Gregoire Defrel.
According to Sky Sports, The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Sampdoria until the end of the season, but it seems that he might fall down the pecking order with Sampdoria already securing the signature of Manolo Gabbiadini from Southampton. The Magpies are reportedly looking to take advantage of this situation and bring the player to St James Park in January.
The Frenchman has been in decent form this season so far and has scored six goals in the Serie A. He has also been a team player and has dished out one assist and could be an essential acquisition for the Tyneside club as they are in dire need of getting someone to score goals for them on a consistent basis.
Rafa Benitez’s men have been able to find the back of the net only 19 times this season so far with Salomon Rondon doing the bulk of the scoring. The Venezuela international has been playing his part well but might need someone equally efficient to share the workload. This is where Defrel comes into the fray.
The former Sassuolo man is known to be a poacher inside the box and can also deceive the opposition with his classy footwork. He could be a valuable addition to the Newcastle United lineup and help them avoid the battle for relegation, which is looking a possibility in the current situation for Rafa Benitez’s side.
The Spaniard has been one of the wisest managers in European football and has done brilliantly to keep Newcastle United afloat in the top tier despite the current financial conundrum. However, he might have to bring some new faces into the side to help his team avoid the drop into the Championship. And investing in a player like Defrel to stabilise the attack could prove to be a very good move for the former Champions League winning gaffer.
