AC Milan’s troubled situation could work in Newcastle United’s favour.
It is no secret that Newcastle United’s squad lacks top-level experience. Magpies manager Rafa Benitez has been showered with praise this year for taking a team of Championship standard players to a comfortable Premier League finish but there is plenty of work to be done.
Newcastle’s biggest signing a year ago was a £12million deal with Norwich City for Jacob Murphy; a player without any experience in a top league.
Ayoze Perez’s 10 goals were the most from a Newcastle player this season, although six of those came in the last six weeks of the campaign. The next highest was Dwight Gayle – linked with a move to Stoke City in recent weeks, as reported by the Daily Mail – with six, only one of which came post-February.
So Newcastle need a striker, preferably with experience at the top level, and the situation at AC Milan could work in their favour.
Milan spent a lot of money last summer – money they supposedly do not have, as reported by Sky Sports. The Italian giants’ Chinese owners turned out to be a lot less rich than initially thought, reportedly purchasing the club through loans they are now struggling to pay off. As a result, Milan are under investigation from UEFA over violating FFP rules and face a European ban.
They would also be forced to sell players to try to make ends meet. One of those players is Nikola Kalinic, formerly of Blackburn Rovers and Fiorentina.
Kalinic has misfired for Milan this year in a season that was incredibly stop-start, another reason the team would be likely to sell, but it is his 33 goals in two season with Fiorentina that catch the eye.
That is a level of goal-scoring difficult to find, especially when he had previously shown his ability to score goals in Croatia and Ukraine. Those divisions may not be the Premier League, but Kalinic has a proven record of scoring goals throughout Europe; he is no one-season wonder and if you can get him settled he will get you goals.
The Croatian is 30 now, offering genuine experience and the attacking know-how that Newcastle sorely lack. For a cut-price fee, they could potentially get a striker with a proven record in three countries as well as internationally.
And if that does not appeal to Newcastle, you have got to wonder what they are looking for.
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