With the deal for Miguel Almiron completed, Newcastle United should now focus on scrapping Salomon Rondon’s loan contract and sign him permanently.
Salomon Rondon was at the top of Rafa Benitez’s wish list during the summer transfer window and the Venezuelan striker managed to make a loan move to Newcastle United just before the deadline. Rondon is a versatile striker who is capable of scoring goals in double-digit figures and he currently has six goals and three assists this season.
His tally should be closer to ten goals, but he suffered from poor fitness after being benched by West Brom during pre-season, and he was sidelined with an injury for over one month. Despite those issues, Rondon caught fire quickly as he scored some meaningful goals for the club and created plays for his teammates, too. Rondon is worth every penny and he deserves a permanent contract with Newcastle.
Rondon: The Ideal Striker for Newcastle
Rondon is a rare breed of strikers and his style is a perfect fit for Newcastle. It is true that he only scored eight goals per season with West Brom, but that’s because Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew kept him isolated with no midfield support during their time at West Brom. Under Rafa Benitez, Rondon has been able to show his true colors, especially over the last three months.
The Venezuelan is the team’s leading goal-scorer with six league goals and he is on track to hit the tally of 11 or 12 by the end of the season. The 4-2-3-1 formation that Benitez so often deploys has benefited Rondon as he gets sufficient support from players like Ayoze Perez, Matt Ritchie, Christian Atsu and Ki Sung-yueng.
The arrival of Miguel Almiron opens a new window for imagination. Almiron is known for being a superior passer and he managed to complete 28 assists for Atlanta United in the MLS. This is huge for Newcastle because it means that Rondon will not have to rely on aerial crosses with Almiron looking to thread a through-ball into the middle of the box. This duo can be very dangerous and Rondon will be the main beneficiary.
Negotiations with West Brom
West Brom played hardball with Newcastle when it came to letting Rondon leave on a season-long loan, but the Magpies can be clever this time around. The first thing Newcastle should do is inform West Brom that they can keep Dwight Gayle. The striker only scored six goals for Newcastle in the Top Flight, but has already scored 14 goals in the second tier.
Secondly, West Brom are serious contenders for earning promotion, but they are currently fourth in the table and they still have some work to do in order to claim a spot among the top two. That being said, there is a possibility that West Brom stays down. This would give Newcastle a major advantage in negotiations as they could keep Rondon at a bargain price while permanently offloading Gayle the other way.