According to the Chronicle’s Mark Douglas, Newcastle have sent scouts to watch in-form Genoa striker Krzystof Piatek.
The Polish forward has score 13 goals in 13 games this season and is thought to have attracted interest from several European sides – with him currently the top scoring in Italy after outscoring the likes of Ronaldo, Icardi, Immobile and Mertens.
This is his first season in Serie A, a league which Rafa knows well from his time at Inter Milan and Napoli, so he will be a good judge as to whether he could cut it in the Premier League.
Here’s a snippet from the Chronicle’s piece, with them confirming :
‘Newcastle’s hopes of signing the striker – scouted by Newcastle United over half a dozen times this season – would depend on offering him the regular first team football others can’t – plus the chance of working with world class manager Rafa Benitez.’
As with any in form striker these days, he is likely to demand a high transfer fee, which will be an obvious sticking point for a team like ourselves who seem reluctant to put our hand in our pocket.
Metro have reported that he has issued a ‘come and get me plea’ to Chelsea and it will be hard to compete with those teams financially – with these sides having the lure of European football and a potential title challenge!
He is still a relatively unknown quantity, with him playing in the Polish league this time last year, so despite his stunning form it would be a risky signing. We have seen so many times that strikers can have good spells and then fade (remember Michu!).
This is no doubt one of many rumours we will be faced with in the next month or so as the January window transfer talk hots up, however it does sound like he’s one we’re watching closely.
