Newcastle United spent wisely and astutely in the summer market, but Christian Atsu is still yet to prove his worth. Toon fans want that to change.
They say that there are few more exhilarating feelings in the lifespan of a football fan than witnessing their team scoring a 90th-minute winner. Well, how about a 96th-minute winner, preceded by a 95th-minute equaliser, in one of the most crucial games of the season?
Yes, Dwight Gayle’s dazzling hat-trick will rightly earn him the headlines and hero status on Tyneside but, the fact of the matter is, when on-loan Chelsea winger Christian Atsu was introduced from the bench in the 92nd minute against Norwich City on Wednesday, the Magpies were heading for defeat. Four minutes later, they won 4-3.
It may be too early to anoint the Ghanaian international as some sort of lucky, voodoo charm but it’s fair to say the fanatical St. James’ support want to see more of their jet-heeled wideman. However, if rumours are to be believed, they might not get that chance.
According to Talksport, Atsu’s parent club, Chelsea, could be tempted by a permanent offer from Italian side Torino. An offer as in actual money, not unfulfilled promises of game time and experience. Like at Bournemouth and Everton, Atsu has struggled to make an impact at St. James’, featuring for just 48 minutes so far this season.
And, if Chelsea are getting impatient as their perennial loanee spends another temporary spell stuck to the subs bench, it’s a feeling shared by Newcastle fans.
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