Newcastle United should watch Leo Bonatini while targeting Wolves’ Conor Coady

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Conor Coady is on Newcastle United’s radar – but it is his Wolves team-mate Leo Bonatini who should be of interest to NUFC’s manager Rafa Benitez.

Newcastle United want Conor Coady from Wolves in the January transfer window. Of course they do.

Coady’s versatility makes him a useful player to have in any squad and, since Newcastle decided against extending Vurnon Anita’s contract at the end of last season, they have lacked a player capable of filling in in a number of positions without a negative impact on performances.

The former Liverpool youth captain started off as a tenacious midfielder, but was used effectively at right-back by former Wolves boss Paul Lambert last season. In the opening months of 2017/18, however, Nuno Espirito Santo has re-imagined Coady as a central defender in a back three.

Thus, The Sun report that Newcastle are keen on a player who could be a valuable addition at £7 million. If Newcastle, however, are scouting Championship high-flyers Wolves for potential targets, they should also be paying some attention to the increasingly impressive displays of centre-forward Leo Bonatini.

The Brazilian, who arrived at Molinuex on loan from Al-Hilal in the summer, took his tally to eight goals in 14 Championship games by netting in Wolves’ shock defeat to QPR on Saturday afternoon.

And with The Chronicle reporting that Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez is still after a striker, Coady’s red-hot team-mate should come into his thinking.

A strong and effective targetman, Bonatini looks a more potent threat than Newcastle’s limited first-choice striker Joselu. And it’s fair to say he doesn’t share Aleksandar Mitrovic’s penchant for a needless suspension.

Bonatini told the Express and Star this month that he sees his future at Wolves, who have an option to buy the 23-year-old at the end of his loan spell. Newcastle, however, could do worse than to offer Wolves an immediate profit on a player who seems an excellent fit for Rafael Benitez’s side.