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Newcastle must join the race for Fenerbahce striker this summer

By Durim Halimi

MUNICH, GERMANY - JULY 30: Javi Martinez of FC Bayern Muenchen (2nL) and Vedat Muriqi of Fenerbahce fight for the ball during the Audi cup 2019 semi final match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Fenerbahce at Allianz Arena on July 30, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images for AUDI)
MUNICH, GERMANY - JULY 30: Javi Martinez of FC Bayern Muenchen (2nL) and Vedat Muriqi of Fenerbahce fight for the ball during the Audi cup 2019 semi final match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Fenerbahce at Allianz Arena on July 30, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images for AUDI) /
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Multiple teams in the Premier League are lining up to secure the services of Vedat Muriqi, and Newcastle United would be wise to join the race.

For reasons no one except Lee Charnley and Mike Ashley can explain, Newcastle United signed three players last month, but none of them are strikers. The Magpies are the fourth-lowest scoring team in the Premier League this season as a result of Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin only combining to score three goals this term.

Salomon Rondon was phenomenal for Newcastle United last season with eleven goals and seven assists, and Steve Bruce needs a player who plays the same way and is capable of producing the same output. Newcastle United are reportedly interested in pursuing Championship star Said Benrahma this summer, but they should also turn their attention to Fenerbahce’s standout striker Vedat Muriqi.

Muriqi is currently the third-highest scorer in the Turkish Super Lig with 12 goals, and the Kosovo international also has four assists to his name. In total, Fenerbahce have scored 39 goals this season and Muriqi has been directly involved in 41% of those goals.

At the international level, Muriqi is hands down Kosovo’s best striker. The 25-year-old has found the back of the net seven times in his last 16 appearances for the Balkan nation, and one of his goals last year was against England at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Muriqi is a talented striker who is now entering his prime. Having spent the majority of his career in Turkey, Muriqi is keen on taking his talent to one of Europe’s top leagues. Tottenham made two bids for Muriqi last month, but Fenerbahce refused to sell him until the end of this season. Manchester United, Leicester City and Aston Villa are also interested in Muriqi. It is reported that the Turkish giants will only accept offers around £30m for their top striker.

Standing tall at 1.94m (6’4″), Muriqi is an aerial threat in the final third of the pitch, but his most impressive attributes are his pace and athleticism. The reason why Muriqi scores so many goals is because he times his runs to perfection and knows how to turn his body to get the best possible looks at goal.

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Signing Muriqi comes with some risk due to the fact that he has not been tested in a top five league, and adapting to the Premier League is no easy task. However, Joelinton is not cutting it and the squad lacks quality depth in the striker department. Muriqi’s record of 29 goals in 44 appearances in the Turkish top flight over the last two seasons is worthy of chance to perform in England.