Joselu is floundering a little at Newcastle, while Daryl Murphy – the man Rafa Benitez let go – is thriving for club and country.
Rafa Benitez knew he needed to sell players to bring others in at Newcastle United in the summer just gone, opting to dispose of Daryl Murphy in favour of Joselu.
However, after seven games of the Premier League season, that decision does not look quite as straightforward as it did at the time.
Joselu has scored twice, but he was fortunate on both occasions and has also contributed a series of glaring misses – a blunder against Brighton and Hove Albion costing Newcastle.
Murphy, by contrast, has six Championship goals with Nottingham Forest and then netted a key brace for the Republic of Ireland at home to Moldova on Friday.
Of course, the standard of opponents are vastly different, but Murphy almost certainly would have converted the opportunities Joselu has passed up.
Benitez does not necessarily favour prolific goalscorers – and neither player is that – having won his first La Liga title in 2001-02 with a Valencia side that scored just 51 times, often relying on four-goal Mista to lead the line.
But he cannot have been pleased by his forward’s failure to convert simple chances, while Murphy takes credit for a brilliant international performance.
Benitez could hardly be blamed for wondering if he made the right choice with these deals.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
