Salomon Rondon’s impressive form has made him a fan favourite at the club as he has been in fine form this season. The Venezuelan striker has managed ten goals and five assists in all competitions for Newcastle United. He is indeed a major reason why The Magpies are relatively safe from the relegation battle.
There is no doubt that everyone around the club would want to see him signed permanently in the summer. Latest reports from the Daily Mail indicates that the Toon are reluctant to pay anything over £12m for the striker. The forward has his release clause set at £16.5m and he would enter the final year of his contract after the summer of 2019.
United are willing to spend more than £12m on a striker, but they want someone with better resale value. Rondon will be 30 this September, and as a result, the Toon are reluctant to shell out more than £12m for him.
Why Newcastle might be making a mistake here?
It’s true that signing a younger player with a better resale value is a much more lucrative option for the club. However, the way Rondon has settled in and has performed at the club means that Newcastle would be better off signing him permanently in the summer. Without Rondon, United could have been fighting a relegation battle as the striker has contributed in almost half the goals this season for the Tyneside outfit. The Toon have managed 31 goals in the Premier League, and Rondon has either scored or assisted 14 of them.
A new striker coming in instead of Rondon will take time to settle in at the club. Moreover, there would be no guarantee that he would be able to produce such impressive numbers in such a short span.
Why Rondon has been so influential?
The target man is tailor-made to play in Benitez’s setup. The Spanish manager often takes a pragmatic and defensive approach when it comes to organising his team. Whenever they are in possession, they look to play in a direct manner and involve their big and powerful centre forward. Rondon has impressive pace and physicality. Also, he is always willing to work hard and chase lost causes for his team.
His hold up play is decent, and he can involve someone like Ayoze Perez who often looks to make runs off him. The duo has formed a lethal partnership, and the club should look to keep them together for the next season as well. We feel that the club should be willing to pay for the release clause to sign the striker permanently.
