How has the former Stoke City striker settled at Newcastle United?
The November international break is a checkpoint which signals that we are roughly a third of the way through the season.
This is, in most cases, a long enough time for judgements to be made on the millions of pounds worth of summer signings.
Here we take a closer look at Newcastle United’s former Stoke City striker Joselu.
The Spaniard is Newcastle’s top Premier League scorer with two goals, although that says more about the club’s toothlessness up top, rather than his own form.
Under his compatriot Rafael Benitez, the 27-year-old is finally getting the regular football that he felt he deserved at Stoke, where he made only 10 league starts in two seasons.
However, it is easy to see why he was never fully trusted at the Britannia Stadium.
Joselu works hard to get himself into good positions, but his finishing is unreliable.
His total of 27 shots is the ninth highest of any player in the league, yet 33 players have scored more goals than him.
In comparison, Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City has scored five more goals from five fewer shots.
With Aleksandar Mitrovic firmly out of favour, it is clear that Benitez sees Joselu as the best option to lead the Newcastle line for now, but the Magpies boss will be looking for an upgrade as soon as possible.
Grade: C
SEE MORE:
Grading Newcastle’s summer signings – Christian Atsu
Grading Newcastle’s summer signings – Manquillo & Murphy
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