In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, transfer insider Dean Jones mentioned that Newcastle United could let Chris Wood leave in January. Jones said,
“It’s always been hard for Chris Wood to fit in at Newcastle. The transfer seemed strange from the start.
“I think part of it was the fact that they were looking at set pieces and him getting on the end of crosses.
“But, with the way that Newcastle are now improving and moving on to another level, part of me does expect for him to be made available in January if he wants to move on.”
Wood’s Unimpressive Season At Newcastle United
Wood has struggled to catch the eye since sealing a move to St. James’ Park back in January. The 30-year-old has banged in one goal in nine matches for the Magpies this season across all competitions.
The New Zealand striker has made most of his appearances off the bench which explains why he is only averaging 0.4 shots, 0.1 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League football. He has also been sloppy with his link-up play, based on his pass success rate of 60.6% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Should Newcastle United Boss Eddie Howe Cash In On Wood?
Wood can use his strong 1.91m frame to dominate the opposition defenders and can pose a real threat in the air from indirect set-pieces. However, he has struggled to find consistency in terms of his goal-scoring numbers over the past ten months.
Therefore, it makes a lot of sense for Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe to cash in on him during the summer transfer window as he is currently surplus to requirements at St. James’ Park.
Following the recent arrival of Alexander Isak and the good form of Callum Wilson, Wood has currently got little to no chance of playing regular first-team football at the Tyneside club. Thus, it is only logical for the player to seek a move elsewhere in search of greener pastures when the transfer window reopens at the start of next year.
At 30, Wood is running out of time to prove his worth at the highest level. It is only fair to the striker if Howe allows him to leave for a fair price this winter. Newcastle United should instead focus on using the money generated from Wood’s potential sale to strengthen other areas of their match-day squad.
