Newcastle United’s demotion from the Premier League last time around was inevitable, for they really looked out of depth in the top flight. A series of substandard and abject displays tuned together to illustrate a scenario which turned out completely against their favour. The competition is unarguably a humungous one but then, seeing the fall of a renowned side like the Geordies did send shivers down the spine.
However, what has been intriguingly scintillating to see is the manner in which Newcastle United have been resurrecting themselves under the tutelage of a world class manager in the form of Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard bravely ventured into the baptism of fire but hasn’t failed to live up to the expectations that were put on his shoulders.
The Toons are placed in an enviable position in the Championship and are likely to get an automatic promotion spot which shall be their direct ticket back to the Premier League.
However, the black and white crops do need to make some changes and bring some notable faces to St. James’ Park once the curtains of the summer transfer window get lifted. More than anything else, they would need to beef up their attacking arsenal and one of the latest reports suggests that Benitez is plotting for an audacious move to sign Napoli’s attacker Dries Mertens.
At the onset, it does appear to be an over the top kind of rumour, but let’s not forget the financial muscle which the English sides have and the financial lucre which they can use as a bait to get the personnel they are targeting.
Mertens is undergoing a stellar season for Napoli in the Italian top tier, having scored 19 goals and registered 4 assists in 25 outings in the Serie A and not to mention his 5 goals and 2 assists in 8 Champions League outings.
The Magpies have suffered setbacks owing to the occasional injuries to their first-choice hitman Dwight Gayle and whilst in his absence, Aleksander Mitrovic hasn’t really been able to step up to the occasion. They are in a dire need of quality and their apparent interest in the Belgian international makes perfect sense.
Apart from his sensational goal-scoring instincts, should Newcastle United manage to lay their hands on Mertens, they would get a player who can play anywhere in the attacking zone, who scores aplenty and can create as many for his teammates as well.
Moreover, he has the experience of playing for quality sides like Napoli and PSV Eindhoven and without any second thought, it would be safe to presume that he can really add a lot of flamboyance to Newcastle United’s strike force.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.
