Newcastle United: Transfer targets worth their asking price?

Newcastle United are linked to new players every day, but are these players worth the asking price set forth by their clubs?

Innumerable rumors continue to rise up for Newcastle United as the Magpies are linked to new players on a daily basis. While most of the rumors are not worth much attention, there are some players who have been linked to the club for a while now.

In that case, where there is smoke there must be a fire. In total, there are four players that Rafa Benitez has had his eyes on for a few months. It remains to be seen what will happen this summer, but Newcastle have expressed their interest in players to clubs in England, Italy, France and Switzerland.

The most notable of these players are Stefano Sturaro from Juventus and Kenedy from Chelsea. With that being said, there are two key questions that must be asked when analyzing summer targets. Firstly, would Newcastle benefit from signing this player? Secondly, does the player’s quality match their club’s asking price?

Kenedy (Chelsea)

Kenedy has been a major talking point for Newcastle this summer. The Magpies and their supporters are keen on bringing the young Brazilian back to Tyneside on a permanent deal. Kenedy wasted little time in winning over the fans at St. James’ Park as he quickly showcased his talent in midfield.

Kenedy certainly has the quality to make Newcastle a more competitive club in the Premier League. However, his parent club, Chelsea, is asking Newcastle to spend more than they would like to on one player. Kenedy is definitely worth every penny, but bringing the midfielder in on loan again might be more feasible.

Stefano Sturaro (Juventus)

The Italian international midfielder is departing Juventus and he has been linked to Newcastle on several occasions. The 25-year-old midfielder would certainly be a great addition to Newcastle as he would fit in well alongside Jonjo Shelvey.

Sturaro is a talented midfielder, but he was not given sufficient playing time in Juventus. In fact, Sturaro only made 12 league appearances for Juventus during the 2017-18 campaign. It has been reported that Juventus want close to £18 million for Sturaro. He would become the record signing for Newcastle with that asking price, but he is worth it.

Yannick Toure (Young Boys)

Yannick Toure may not be a big name yet, but some pundits claim that the 17-year-old has the potential to become a great player. It is also being reported that Toure is on his way to St. James’ Park. While it is good news that Newcastle seem to be fulfilling their objective of bringing in a striker, is Toure the man they need?

In my humble opinion, no he is not. The reason for this is because Newcastle do not have time to experiment on a youngster who has only played in youth leagues. Toure has only played for Young Boys at the U23 level. No matter what his fiscal demands are, Newcastle are making the wrong decision by chasing an unproven striker when the club’s objective is to play in Europe.

Alassane Plea (OGC Nice)

Newcastle United have officially made a bid to OGC Nice for the services of their striker, Alassane Plea. The Magpies are in dire need of a striker and Plea could definitely be the player they need to improve their offensive efficiency.

While Newcastle have their eyes set in the right direction, the bad news is that their bid has reportedly been rejected. Plea scored 11 goals for OGC Nice two seasons ago and scored 16 goals in 34 matches last season. Newcastle would have to spend close to £27 million for the striker, but he would be worth the money.