Newcastle United opinion: Should the Magpies sign David Okereke?

The fact that Newcastle United even survived the Premier League season is a testament to what one good signing for Rafael Benitez can do. The Magpies flirted with the relegation zone for a large portion of the season before the January window changed that.

The arrival of Miguel Almiron injected hope and a sense of adventure into the team again. The club had more than enough to surge past the drop zone. While they never managed to hit the same heights as last season, Newcastle still finished 13^th and 11 points above the relegated Cardiff City.

It shows just what new arrivals can do to their team, but for the Magpies, it has to be so much more. Not only do they need a new striker but the club also has to replace the deadwood.

Players like Christian Atsu, Yoshinori Muto and even Joselu have all either made no impact or failed to help the club survive. To show just how badly the Magpies need a new striker, barring Ayoze Perez and Salmon Rondon, no other player even came close to hitting double figures.

Their third and fourth highest scorers were centre-backs Fabian Schar and Ciaran Clark. Goals win games and as the season has proved, Newcastle United do not have enough players to guarantee that. It’s why they need to win the race for David Okereke. 

The Sun has reported that the Magpies are one of four clubs keen on a move for the 21-year-old. But given his form this season, that should come as no surprise. Currently, in Italy’s second division with Spezia Calcio, Okereke finished the season with a rather incredible 10 goals and 12 assists.

The Shields Gazette reports that Inter Milan have taken notice. However, given Newcastle United’s predicament, the Magpies are the ones who really need to win the race for the Nigerian international.

Capable of playing across the front-line, the 21-year-old combines raw pace and dribbling to make himself a menace. Add that to his clearly showcased goalscoring threat and creativity in the final third, and it does make him yet another bargain.

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Conclusion

The Magpies brought in Ayoze Perez after the Spaniard had a similarly impressive season in the La Liga 2 and he has done well since then. David Okereke has the potential and the work ethic to do the same and given his age, it does make the move a bargain buy.

But like all bargains, the Magpies do run the risk of making a move for someone who could flop at a bigger side.