Newcastle missed out on Olarenwaju Kayode over the summer.
Sevilla’s Franco Vazquez (L) vies with Girona forward Olarenwaju Kayode
It was well-documented over the summer that Rafael Benitez endured a frustrating transfer window at Newcastle United, with the Magpies missing out on a number of transfer targets.
Whilst Benitez was able to bring in the likes of Florian Lejeune, Javier Manquillo, Mikel Merino, Jacob Murphy and Joselu, he was also left to rue the club’s inability to get deals over the line.
One such deal surrounded Nigerian striker Olarenwaju Kayode, who hit 30 goals in just 67 games for Austria Vienna, following a 2015 move from Maccabi Netanya in Israel.
Kayode, 24, was the subject of major summer interest, but just as Newcastle thought that they had sealed a deal, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola intervened, personally calling the forward to tempt him into joining him at the Etihad Stadium – as reported by Own Goal Nigeria.
Kayode ended up joining City, but was immediately loaned out to Spanish side Girona, where he has yet to really prove that Newcastle missed out on a big deal this summer.
The forward has made just one start for the newly-promoted La Liga side, and whilst he has made six substitute appearances, his total minutes for the season stands at just 186 minutes as he struggled to make an impact in Spain.
With no goals or assists to his name, Kayode’s early form in Spain suggests that he wouldn’t have made an instant impact with Newcastle either.
Whilst Joselu has yet to really impress for Newcastle, Kayode’s inability to break into the Girona team may well leave Benitez and the Magpies feeling that they didn’t miss out on much, and the money saved could go towards signing an even better striker in 2018.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
