Newcastle United are facing up to a season of struggle and look woefully short where it matters most, up front.
Newcastle are winless and in the bottom three as the Premier League table starts to take shape.
But prospects of dramatic improvement look bleak after a deeply disappointing summer transfer window.
Fans were concerned a lack of spending would result in potential relegation despite the adulation enjoyed by manager Rafa Benitez at St James Park.
Some poor transfer business, particularly up front, saw Aleksandar Mitrovic leave for Fulham and Dwight Gayle for West Brom, who offloaded Salomon Rondon to the Magpies in return.
It is safe to say those deals have badly backfired with Mitrovic the current Premier League joint second top scorer and Gayle firing West Brom to the top of the Championship with five goals in five games.
Meanwhile Rondon can barely get a start let alone a goal under Benitez.
Newcastle have a distinct lack of options and talent and it must be addressed during the January window if they are to have any hope of survival.
Here are three current Premier League strikers Newcastle could realistically look to sign in the winter window to improve their chances of preserving their top flight status.
Isacc Success
The powerful and pacy 22-year-old Watford striker offers a real threat. But he rarely gets game time with the Hornets, featuring just 23 times since signing last summer.
With Troy Deeney and Andre Gray in such good form Success is likely to fail with any attempt to break his way into the first team at Vicarage Road. Watford splashed out £13 million on Success and Newcastle may be able to get him on loan with the option to buy next summer.
Javier Hernandez
It has not happened for Hernandez at West Ham. With Marko Arnautovic outstanding in the lone striker role, Hernandez has been restricted to a role on the bench.
The Mexican all-time leading goalscorer is West Ham’s highest earner on around £140,000 per week.
Even if Newcastle were prepared to pay half that for the rest of the season from January with an option to buy, it may suit all parties perfectly and Chicharito would be a massive improvement on anything the Magpies have seen up front in recent years.
Oumar Niasse
Another outcast who struggles for game time is Everton’s Oumar Niasse. Although the Senegal striker has seen more action under Marco Silva, he has only made 32 appearances in three seasons.
Niasse has looked dangerous in fits and starts during his time in England.
But he would be a step up for Newcastle who carry enough clout to attract all three of these strikers, none of whom are relied upon with any regularity by their clubs at the moment.
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