Stoke City’s Joselu is a reported target for Newcastle United – and he would be unlikely to come in as the club’s main man.
It has been clear for some time that Rafa Benitez and Newcastle United need a new centre forward, with Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic currently their only senior options.
And Newcastle fans could understandably have been excited by reports in the Chronicle of interest in Lucas Perez and Danny Ings at the start of the week.
Both players could reasonably expect to be the main man at St James’ Park or at least offer some serious competition to Gayle, who scored 23 times in the Championship last season.
By Friday, however, the Chronicle had identified a rather more underwhelming target in the form of Stoke City’s Joselu.
The former Real Madrid man last hit double figures in a league campaign back in 2011-12 for the European champions’ B team, since tallying an indifferent scoring record in Germany and England.
Joselu, surely, would not usurp Gayle in Benitez’s team and he might also find himself behind Mitrovic, who is available for transfer according to the Chronicle.
If Newcastle are to chase Joselu rather than Perez or Ings, it would suggest they are now focusing on cover rather than an upgrade in the forward position.
Joselu could offer a back-up option, but such a move would place significant pressure back on the shoulders of number 9 Gayle.
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