Premier League duo Everton and Newcastle United both reportedly wanted to sign La Liga’s Villarreal hotshot Cedric Bakambu in 2017.
Flash back almost a year and Cedric Bakambu was one of the hottest striking prospects in Spanish football.
The DR Congo international boasted a very impressive record at La Liga club Villarreal, scoring 46 times across two-and-a-half seasons. Blessed with speed, power and clinical finishing in one-on-one situations, no wonder Bakambu had admirers.
Marca claimed that Newcastle United had sent scouts to watch him in action. The Sun, meanwhile, reported that Everton had made the former Bursaspor and Sochaux man their top target during the summer transfer window of 2017.
And with both the Toffees and the Magpies lacking that prolific number nine right now, signing Bakambu would certainly have made Marco Silva’s or Rafa Benitez’s jobs that little bit easier.
Instead, however, the 27-year-old followed the dosh to China, joining Beijing Guoan in January for £35 million. And he has not stopped scoring since, albeit against inferior opposition, netting 13 times in 16 games in the Chinese Super League.
Bakambu’s side is currently top of the table as well; his goals firing Guoan two points clear of Shanghai East Asia.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are hoping and praying that Salomon Rondon finds goals easier to come by than he did at West Brom. Everton’s number one striker Cenk Tosun, meanwhile, has not scored in his last seven games for the club.
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