Why Newcastle United Should Sign Diego Rolan From Bordeaux
Newcastle United are planning to make a swoop for Bordeaux striker Diego Rolan according to reports from the Chronicle Live.
The Uruguayan forward has been strongly linked with a move to Championship outfit Fulham and Sky Sports even reported that the Cottagers have also agreed a £5million fee with Bordeaux for the transfer of the striker. But the Chronicle claims that the Magpies remain confident of making a late move and nabbing him away from the London club, with the lure of Premier League football.
Newcastle United’s summer, following their successful return to the English top division did not start in the most blistering of fashions, but is slowly starting to take shape. It was recently reported by Sky Sports that the Toon had agreed a £12million fee with Norwich City for winger Jacob Murphy and the England youth star is all set to become the club’s third transfer following the arrival of Christian Atsu from Chelsea and Florian Lejeune from Eibar.
But bringing in a new striker remains a top priority for Magpies boss Rafael Benitez as he believes he doesn’t have the necessary firepower at the top to have a strong campaign in the Premier League. Last season, only Dwight Gayle managed more than 15 goals for the club, as he finished as the second highest goal-getter in the Championship with 23 strikes to his name.
However, seeing his poor record in the English top tier during his days with Crystal Palace, there will be some amount of concerns for the manager. Aleksandar Mitrovic too has struggled for form and is likely to be sold, while Daryl Murphy at 33, can hardly be considered a first-choice striker.
Newcastle tried to bring in Chelsea sensation Tammy Abraham on loan for a season, but were beaten to his signature by Swansea City. Now it seems, they have narrowed down their search to Rolan.
The 24-year old Bordeaux forward did not have a stellar campaign, as he finished with 9 goals in 29 Ligue1 games, helping the club to a 6th-place finish in the standings. Till date, he has featured 149 times for the French club, and has notched up 38 goals and 13 assists.
While that doesn’t represent a very prolific goal-scoring record, the Uruguayan brings a lot to the table with his ability to play as a forward and on the wings as well. He has occasionally been used in a central attacking midfield role too, where he has fared decently. A good finisher and a more than decent passer of the ball, Rolan has the ability to be of value to the team.
He has also been capped 25 times by the Uruguayan national team for whom he has scored 4 times since making his debut in September 2014. For him to be a regular in the national side and be able to play in an attack that consists of the likes of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, it is clear that he has the ability and is regarded very highly in his homeland.
Considering that he has just a year left on his existing deal with the club, he isn’t going to cut in too deep into their transfer budget either. He may not be the most prolific of the forwards out there, but Rolan can turn out to be a good squad player who can provide depth in several positions and will get goals frequently. Newcastle had a bid rejected for him a couple of years ago, but now should try and snatch him away from under the noses of Fulham, as at £5million, he will represent a decent business by the club.