The former Chelsea forward is proven in the Premier League – which is more than can be said for most of the current Newcastle United squad.
While many Newcastle United fans blamed the loss of their Premier League status on Mike Ashley’s restrictive transfer policy, you’d assume an intelligent, wildly successful businessman would understand the need to perhaps adopt a less constricting approach to the market in order to re-establish the club in the top tier. Right?
Well, perhaps not. Rafael Benitez’s reaction after being denied the chance to sign his top January targets thanks to Ashley’s prioritisation of players under the age of 26 with a ‘re-sale value’, as reported by the Daily Mirror, spoke volumes about the difficulties that managers have stamping their authority, and autonomy, on the squad under the Sports Direct supremo.
However, if Ashley is to break the mould for any player, perhaps he should do it for a former Premier League champion who will be available on a free at the end of the season – five years after the Daily Mail claim that they first tried to strike a deal.
Salomon Kalou may be 31 these days but continues to roll back the years with Bundesliga overachievers Hertha Berlin netting 14 last season and adding another five in just 12 starts this time around. His resale value would be next to nothing but, with his contract expiring in July, Ashley’s pocket would hardly take too much of a hit.
And in return for breaching his policy, the Newcastle owner could find that the experience and skill of the former Chelsea attacker could add an extra edge in the final third – either as a mobile alternative to the seemingly ill-fitting Aleksandar Mitrovic or as an upgrade on Christian Atsu on the left wing.
Despite Newcastle monopolising the top of the league for the majority of the season, doubts persist about whether enough of Benitez’s squad are ‘Premier League ready’.
However, the nous of Kalou, a proven goalscorer in the top flights of England, France and Germany, could prove priceless in more ways than one.
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