The forgotten striker I’m fully expecting Benitez to go back in for this summer – One to watch

As the tedious Rondon saga drags on, Benitez may be forced explore other striker options – and one I’m fully expecting him to revisit is a deal for Lucas Perez.

With Unai Emery now at the helm at Arsenal, there may be a few players surplus to requirements at the Emirates. We were linked with a loan move for Danny Welbeck yesterday, but it’s Perez that seems like the far more likely option to me.

He was a key target for Rafa last summer (see interview here where he confirms his interest) but we ended up missing out on his signature, with his heart set on a return to Spain.

He spent the year on loan with Deportivo and despite being their stand out player, bagging 9 goals & 8 assists in a struggling team, he couldn’t stop them from being relegated. They now can’t afford him and he’s back at Arsenal.

Unai Emery seems to be giving him a shot in pre-season, but it seems very likely that he’s made available towards the end of the window (He’s not going to get in ahead of Lacazzete/Aubameyang realistically?) and this may be the chance for Newcastle to step in with a late move.

He’s 29, so it doesn’t quite fit into Ashley’s policy, but he’d be much cheaper than the likes of Salomon Rondon and is quite a bit more versatile too. He can play up top, out wide and off the striker and he’ll most probably be made available on loan (or on a permanent for no more than £10m), so there’s quite a lot here that would appeal to Benitez and NUFC in our current circumstances.

One to watch with interest over the next few weeks…

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About Simon Riddlesden

Lifelong Newcastle United fan and East Stand season ticket holder. Observations from a supporter who has followed NUFC during Champions League participation and through relegation, taking me from Milan to Scunthorpe.

One thought on “The forgotten striker I’m fully expecting Benitez to go back in for this summer – One to watch

  1. Well done, Simon, for picking up on Perez’s potential availability. I do not believe Ashley will sanction Rondon and probably not even Muto and certain not Welbeck (100,000/wk, lol), but a cheap loan for Perez (1M), with or without a buy clause, may sneak under the radar. I would rate Perez (slower, less robust, better finisher, 8-10 goals) on a par with Rondon (stronger, combative, tireless, 6-8 goals) different, but overall about the same, with Muto perhaps a touch behind (5-8 goals) and Welbeck way out in front (12-15 goals), but way out of our grasp with Ashley lurking in the shadows, but over-shadowing everything and everyone. (What an evil villain, Ashley is, boo, gnash-of-teeth, growl 😈 ).

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