Premier League underachievers Newcastle United passed up the chance to sign Salomon Rondon for just £16m over the summer.
Salomon Rondon scored more goals in 45 minutes today than Joelinton has managed all season. And you can bet that the irony of that was not lost on Newcastle United fans.
It is almost as if the Magpies would have been better off signing a proven, Premier League targetman for a bargain £16 million rather than risking £40 million on a young Brazilian who had never played in England before. Joelinton, despite his size, isn’t even a natural number nine; he was at his best for Hoffenheim when drifting in from the wing.
So no wonder the record signing has struggled to lead the line for Steve Bruce’s side.
And just to add to the anti-Ashley feeling on Tyneside, Rondon offered a timely reminder of his talents on Tuesday afternoon with a 34-minute hat-trick as Venezuela battered Japan 4-1 on Tuesday. All three goals were typical centre-forward finishes; a clinical header, a simple tap-in and a close-range rebound.
It was the sort of ruthless performance Newcastle have been crying out for from one of their strikers ever since Rondon’s loan deal expired in May.
It was the South American’s age which appeared to put owner Mike Ashley off doing a permanent deal with West Brom. But, at the age of just 30, Rondon is far from finished. In fact, he appears to be at the peak of his powers.
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