Newcastle United should make a bold move for the Spaniard.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez
Magpies boss Rafa Benitez has a strong group of players at his disposal at St James’ Park, but he will be under no illusions at the size of the task ahead of him, as he attempts to guide his side to a successful campaign upon their return to the Premier League.
One particular department of the Spaniard’s squad that he would like to improve are the wide attacking areas, with more competition needed for the likes of Matt Ritchie and Christian Atsu.
With this in mind, Newcastle should look to target Napoli forward Jose Callejon, who Benitez signed for Napoli in 2013, during his time in charge of the Serie A side.
The 30-year-old can operate as either a winger or an out-and-out forward, and whilst a move for the Spaniard would be an extremely bold one, Benitez’ amicable relationship with Callejon could open to door to him moving to Tyneside.
The former Real Madrid man moved to the Stadio San Paolo in 2013, for a fee believed to be in the region of £8 million, and produced his best season in a Napoli shirt last term, scoring 17 goals and chipping in with 13 assists in 49 outings.
He is an exceptionally intelligent footballer, and that combined with his pace and direct playing style makes him a nightmare to defend against.
Callejon would provide Newcastle with a totally different facet to their attacking play, and his experience of playing at the very highest level for such a sustained period of time would undoubtedly prove to be a major asset for Benitez’ side.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez
One potential stumbling block the Toon could face is convincing him to leave a club who are competing in the Champions League to join a team who have only just been promoted from the second tier of English football.
With Benitez at the helm, however, joining Newcastle United is a more attractive prospect than it ever has been before, and if the Spaniard manages to bring Callejon to St James’ Park, it could turn out to be a signing of real significance, as far as their hopes of cracking the big time are concerned.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez
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