Newcastle United have been a very reliable proposition when it comes to betting on low-scoring games this season, and Steve Bruce’s side have been crying out for a prolific frontman since losing both Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez last summer.
Although the latter was far from the finished product, he netted 13 times last season and always looked a threat when operating through the middle. The Magpies have recently switched to a back four, and whilst that has allowed Miguel Almiron to play with a little more freedom, the Tyneside club still lack that clinical edge in the final third.
The club have been linked with a plethora of European strikers over the last twelve months including RB Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen, and reports suggest that the Danish forward is one of many on our radar this summer.
The 25-year old is a powerful frontman with an eye for goal and his contributions have helped the Saxony club rise up the footballing pyramid and firmly establish themselves as Bundesliga title challengers. Having been deployed as a defender in his younger days, strength is one of his key assets, although despite his 6’3″ frame, he has a delicate touch, which enables him to bring teammates into play.
The former Lyngby man has three goals and five assists in his first 20 appearances this season, and although he’s made a decent start to the 2019-20 campaign, he is unlikely to equal last season’s tally of 15 goals this time around.
He’s also represented his country on a regular basis, turning out for Denmark on 44 occasions. He scored against Peru at the 2018 World Cup, and also scored twice last year to help Age Hareide’s side book their place at Euro 2020. Although the tournament has been pushed back twelve months, the outright odds for the competition are still available and if you place your bet on football with Betfair you can currently back Denmark at 80/1 to triumph next summer.
They are deemed outsiders for the title, but they did manage to write themselves into the history books back in 1992 despite initially failing to qualify for the event.
Yussuf Poulsen nets a late winner as Denmark see off Switzerland in Group D ??#DENSUI #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/LEVg17dJm1
— Goal (@goal) October 12, 2019
Poulsen is under contract until 2022 and Mike Ashley would be required to stump up a sizeable fee in order to acquire the versatile 25-year old this summer. Steve Bruce is believed to be an admirer of the striker and with injury-prone Andy Carroll and inconsistent duo Dwight Gayle and Joelinton struggling to make an impact in the top flight, it’s a department which desperately requires a significant overhaul ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. Although many supporters may be wary of signing another forward from the German top flight, his record of 61 goals in 248 appearances and his all-round performances eclipse those of the aforementioned Joelinton.
Newcastle are the joint-lowest goalscorers in the Premier League and have netted more than a single goal in a game just once since the beginning of December. Backing under 2.5 goals has been an extremely fruitful way of betting on their matches games in recent months, and although their lack of firepower is unlikely to see them dragged back into a relegation battle this year, it has resulted in a fair amount of vitriol from the stands.
The Copenhagen-born frontman is believed to be one of the club’s top target, and although the Magpies reportedly made an enquiry last summer, they are likely to return with a firm bid this time around. Newcastle have struggled in the final third for a number of years, and although Yussuf Poulsen isn’t likely to be an instant fix, he could prove to be a significant upgrade on the club’s current frontline.