According to latest reports, Newcastle United are emerging as clear winners to sign Japanese striker Yoshinori Muto. The player plies his trade for Bundesliga outfit Mainz and the talks between both the clubs have advanced well as both the parties are close to an agreement. The deal is going to be worth £9m which can turn out to be a smart deal for both the parties.
The Bundesliga outfit signed him from Tokyo FC for £2.5m in 2015 and they are set to get a neat profit for the player after he impressed for his country in the World Cup. Signing a striker has been the topmost priority for Newcastle United as the likes of Dwight Gayle and Joselu struggled to get going in the Premier League last season.
The Magpies are set to finally part ways with Aleksandar Mitrovic in the summer transfer window and that will definitely leave them short on the attacking front. The Tyneside outfit managed a top half finish, however, they struggled to score goals freely. Muto managed a tally of 10 goals and 5 assists last season for his side which is more than the tally of any of the Magpies strikers as none of them even managed to reach the 10-goal mark.
The Japanese forward was instrumental for his side in the World Cup as they managed to get out of their group and even gave Belgium a huge scare which can be termed as one of the games of the World Cup. Muto was an instrumental part of that side as his link-up play was top notch.
The 26-year-old can play down the wings as well but is suited to lead the line. However, it will be expected that Rafael Benitez will play him in the role of a shadow striker as he will be able to exploit Muto’s pace and link up play better that way. The Toon opted for the two strikers system in the latter half of the season as Ayoze Perez and Dwight Gayle started together, which gave them much better results in front of goal.
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Premier league will be the biggest test of Muto’s career, however, one doesn’t expect him to lead the line in all the games. He is likely to be used as a squad player and when on the pitch, he will start behind a more traditional no. 9 striker. However, we still aren’t sure who will be that striker as Gayle was unable to cut the mustard last season.
