According to The Sun, Newcastle have turned their attention to a Premier League veteran in the shape of Emmanuel Adebayor, who recently left Turkish outfit Kayserispor.
What’s the word, then?
From the varying reports across the month it seems the Magpies are interested in adding a striker to the squad, with Borussia Dortmund’s Paco Alcacer another name linked in recent days.
The Sun report that Adebayor is keen on a return to the Premier League in order to get over the 100-goal mark – he currently sits on 97 – and it is believed that the Toon face competition from Brighton and Aston Villa.
The former Arsenal striker wouldn’t cost a fee and that could appeal to Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley, but if there is serious competition for his signature then his wage demands could increase.
If he completes the switch, it will become Adebayor’s tenth club throughout his career.
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Getting desperate
Newcastle may be in urgent need of a striker given the lack of success of first-choice Joelinton, who has just two goals this season, but they should be cautious in their pursuit of a new addition.
Adebayor is now 35-years-old and certainly in the twilight of his career, and he is clearly far from his previous best considering he scored just two in eight games for Kayserispor.
The only way this deal could help the north-east outfit is if the former Togo international signs on a short-term deal until the end of the season at a low cost to the club.
That could give Adebayor the motivation he needs to succeed at St. James’ Park but even that is unlikely considering the quality of Newcastle’s midfield and the service they have provided the attack so far this season, with Jonjo Shelvey’s 1.8 key passes per game the highest in the squad.
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Joelinton’s return of 1.5 shots per game underlines that fact, and given Adebayor is of a similar physique and has perhaps lost a yard or two of pace due to his age, it is likely that his success under Bruce would be limited.
Newcastle need to improve their attack but this would simply be scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Meanwhile, Bruce has failed to improve his squad in a key way in the transfer market and the team could suffer as a result.
