Speaking on The Overlap, Alan Shearer has been discussing Newcastle United’s record-signing Joelinton.
Even the kindest Newcastle fan in the world couldn’t say that Joelinton has proven to be value for money. The Brazilian cost the Magpies £40m and he’s scored just six league goals in 79 appearances.
Shearer loves Newcastle more than most, but even he can’t explain the Magpies’ decision to spend so much on the former Hoffenheim striker.
What’s been said?
Shearer spoke about the signing of Joelinton.
“I hope the new owners will have picked up in terms of the money which has been spent – nowhere near enough but when they’ve gone out, you try and work out £40 million for Joelinton?” Shearer said.
“How do you work that out? I actually feel sorry for Joelinton at times because he was given the number nine shirt, asked to play centre-forward and score goals. None of that is his fault. That’s not his position. I can never criticise his work rate in terms of what he tries to do.
“He always tries, he never hides away, but he’s not a goalscorer. He’s not a number nine, and he’s not a centre-forward, yet, he was asked to do all of that? How do you work that out?
“I don’t think so, that’s one deal I’ve never been able to look at and explain and I don’t think many people will be able to.”
Baffling
Shearer can’t explain the Joelinton signing, and, to be honest, neither can we.
There simply isn’t any way to justify spending £40m on a striker who doesn’t score goals.
He wasn’t lighting up the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim, he scored just seven goals in 29 league games in Germany, while his two loan spells in Austria were equally as underwhelming.
This has to go down as a poor piece of business from Newcastle.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
