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Newcastle target Wesley Moraes is the real deal

By Durim Halimi

MOUSCRON, BELGIUM - AUGUST 05: Wesley Moraes da Silva of Club Brugge KV looks on during the Jupiler Pro League match between Royal Excel Mouscron and Club Brugge at Stade Le Canonnier on August 5, 2018 in Mouscron, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
MOUSCRON, BELGIUM - AUGUST 05: Wesley Moraes da Silva of Club Brugge KV looks on during the Jupiler Pro League match between Royal Excel Mouscron and Club Brugge at Stade Le Canonnier on August 5, 2018 in Mouscron, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United are interested in signing Brazilian striker Wesley Moraes from Club Brugge and the player’s agent has confirmed this interest.

Newcastle United are the most complicated and confused team in the Premier League at the moment as Rafa Benitez’s new contract is still on the table, three teams are interested in Salomon Rondon and West Brom cannot afford to keep Dwight Gayle. Despite all this uncertainty, the club has turned their attention to Wesley Moraes, who is set to leave Club Brugge this summer, and the player’s agent has confirmed that he has been communicating with Newcastle United over this potential move.

The 22-year-old striker from Brazil has spent the last three seasons with Club Brugge in Belgium. Moraes has improved every season with the Belgian giants and he managed to score 14 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions this season, with two of those goals coming in the UEFA Champions League and one goal in the UEFA Europa League. Newcastle United are making the right move by pursuing a young player who has the potential to be a top striker in Europe, especially now that West Ham are planning to trigger Rondon’s release clause.

Analyzing Wesley Moraes

Standing tall at 6 feet 3 inches (1.92m), Moraes has been an aerial threat for Club Brugge and the Magpies would absolutely benefit from having a big man in the box. In addition to his frame, Moraes is a physical striker who fights defenders off the ball and maintains possession well, just as Rondon did for the Toon this season.

He is a dynamic striker who hangs around the penalty area, but often falls back 20 yards out to receive the ball with the purpose of looking for a teammate making a run into the box. The last thing Newcastle United need is a selfish striker and Moraes has shown that he is a team player.

The last major attribute worth analyzing is his pace. Unlike Rondon who cannot outrun defenders, Moraes has the speed of a winger and pairing him alongside Miguel Almiron and Ayoze Perez could give the Magpies the fastest attacking unit in the Premier League. Moraes’ ability to consolidate pace and strength enables him to get in good scoring positions.

Next. Can Almiron help Gayle excel in the EPL?. dark

As a result, Moraes has scored 27 goals for Club Brugge over the last two seasons. Making the move from Belgium to England will not be easy, but he has the natural talent to be a reliable starter for the Toon. We have to wait and see how things play out over the next few weeks, but he would be a solid signing for Newcastle United.