Newcastle United depth chart: strikers

Joelinton is undoubtedly the primary option at the striker position, but who from the current roster should play alongside him?

Newcastle United finally got their man in Joelinton and they spent the big bucks, around £40m, to secure his services from Hoffenheim. His arrival has mainly generated optimism among fans, but there are still some doubters who perceive him as a gamble. Regardless of various opinions, Joelinton will be the first name on the team sheet and the expectations will be high for the 22-year-old Brazilian.

With two weeks left in the transfer window, the Magpies could sign another striker to join him on the front-line. At present, two names that have been linked with the club the most are Danny Welbeck and Andy Carroll. Until any other moves are made, Newcastle United’s remaining strikers are Yoshinori Muto, Dwight Gayle and we can even count Elias Sorensen. The question to be answered here, though, is what the pecking order should be at the striker position for slots two through four?

#2: Dwight Gayle

Of the remaining strikers on the roster, Gayle has the best odds of being Steve Bruce’s second striker. When compared to Muto and Sorensen, Gayle has more experience and is more comfortable on the ball. He is labeled a Championship striker because of his production drop off in the Top Flight, but he could be much more productive with a quality striker by his side as they would attract more defenders in the penalty area. Let’s also not forget that Gayle managed to score six goals two seasons ago with Joselu as his striking partner…

#3: Yoshinori Muto

Next up on the list should be Muto. The Japanese international clearly has talent and his athleticism was on display when he played for Mainz in Germany, but he failed to meet expectations on Tyneside last term. He only took six shots all of last season and scored one goal in the process, but he made it clear that he will work hard this summer to show his true colors. Everyone deserves a second chance, but Muto needs to make the most of it when he comes off the bench. His goal against West Ham in China is encouraging and we hope to see more goals from him in upcoming friendlies. He would surely move up the pecking order if he can start scoring regularly.

#4: Elias Sorensen

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Danish Geordie. Fans wanted to see Rafa Benitez give Sorensen a chance to play first team football last season, but that did not happen. Joselu’s recent departure to Alaves opened the door for the 19-year-old striker and he looked good in both pre-season games in China last week. Sorensen has a lot of room for growth, but he has sufficient talent to earn a spot on the first team roster and he could make some big plays happen inside the penalty area, especially against weaker teams. Look for Sorensen to get more chances under Steve Bruce, but do not expect him to start alongside Joelinton this season.