Newcastle United are still looking for a permanent striker option after signing Islam Slimani on a loan deal from Leicester City for the remainder of the current campaign. The owner Mike Ashley did not provide Rafael Benitez with the optimal funds to pursue the players that the Spaniard had wanted and the entire January transfer window ended with multiple transfer rumours failing to materialise. The last-minute struggle to undergo the entire transfer process has turned out to be an exhausting and ultimately fruitless affair.
Benitez wants to rectify the entire process and is already scouting for possible additions in the summer. He has his eyes set on Bundesliga forward, Sébastien Haller. The Magpies are currently in the 16th spot of the Premier League, just a point above the bottom three. The relegation battle always turns out to be a gruelling one with almost the entire second half of the Premier League table gunning for survival. The point gap between Watford and West Brom in the bottom half is just a measly 7 points and with just 12 games left in the season, no one can guarantee any particular club’s future in top-flight English football.
Newcastle’s promotion from the EFL Championship has not gone as well as they had planned. Magpies owner, Mike Ashley is yet to put his money where his mouth is. He has previously stated that proper funds would have been provided to the former Chelsea manager, but none has shown up till now.
The entire Amanda Staveley and PCP Group takeover saga also placed a huge concern in the minds of the Tyneside fans over the intentions of Ashley and the future of the club. With just two signings in the transfer window for a fight against the Premier League elites will turn out to be a tough and ruthless affair. Slimani is a proven goalscorer but has been out of regular football for some time now.
At 29, he might take a significant amount of time to get going in front of goal and a quality addition is necessary to somewhat secure a future for the club. Sebastian Haller plies his trade for the Eintracht Frankfurt and has racked up 12 goals and 5 assists this season. He started his professional career Auxerre before going out on loan to Dutch outfit, FC Utrecht.
He has been capped for the French national side from the U16s to the U21s all around 51 times. The 23-year-old is in prolific form and if Newcastle manages to sign him for €30m in the summer, this might just represent the start of brighter things to come for the east London outfit.
