According to reports in Italy, the agent of Mattia Destro has flown out to England to hold talks with Newcastle ahead of a potential January move.
Italian outlet Il Resto Del Carlino claim he is also set for talks with West Ham, who like Rafa Benitez appear to want a new striker in this month.
Destro has been linked with a move to Tyneside in just about every transfer window since Rafa took over – so Benitez either holds long-term interest or the Italian press have been making false claims for a fair while now!
Although there’s sometimes no smoke without fire when it comes to transfers, with Benitez bound to have a firm eye on available players in Serie A, I’m hoping this persistent rumours isn’t true.
Destro has had his moments in Serie A, scoring 29 in 68 games for Roma several years ago, but he’s doing little to impress in Italy these days.
He turns 28 in a few months time, hasn’t scored all season for Bologna and has just 25 goals across his last three seasons in Italy – suggesting he’s anything but the proven scorer needed at Newcastle right now.
Unless he’s Joselu’s replacement (with the Spaniard now linked with a shock move to China), I think I’d steer well clear of Destro.
With the owner not prepared to spend any money on the club, but instead stripping the TV money from NUFC to buy up failed companies he can then asset strip, leaves us with next to nothing.
You are not going to buy quality with next to nothing. Even the Destros of this world are still better than we can afford. Rafa has already stated that he won’t let anyone leave, and certainly not before he has a replacement that leaves him better off – so Joselu is going to be our fall-back, yard-stick position for the rest of the season. Remember Rafa is looking at more than goals scored, he wants discipline, team ethic, holding the ball up and defending it in the final third. If you can’t create goals, then create chances, if you can’t create chances, then hold on to the ball, if you can’t keep the ball, then at least slow them down and stop any free-flowing play from the back. You saw how we took Cardiff apart – Rafa wants to stop that happening to us. We won’t get a goal scoring creative type this window, but maybe another disciplined, holding type player, who might be a little luckier than poor Joselu 😉 😕 😳
Peter(Quote)
It’s very depressing reading linked with journeymen players. We are so much more than the Poundshop football club we have become under Ashley’s watch.
Nufc11(Quote)
Destro rides again 😯
Toontaff(Quote)
The only Italian the Toon will get this season are “Tortellini” and “Caprese” and they already ate those at the Fat mans buffet supper evening….
mactoony(Quote)