Benitez must reunite with 85-goal favourite for final swansong at Newcastle after confirmed exit
COMMENT
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez will be delighted with how his team have turned things around going into the final stretch of the season, but there will be one thorn in his side causing him a pain.
There can be few doubts every one of the Magpies players have put in an enormous amount of effort, but unfortunately for those leading the line, their efforts have not resulted in goals.
Dwight Gayle and Joselu have just nine goals between them, while Islam Slimani’s injury woes have limited him to just one appearance, which will have left the Spanish boss wondering what to do over the summer to bolster his forward line.
He will already have a shortlist drawn up of both previous targets – including the likes of Nicolai Jorgensen – and new players to scout, but finances could stifle his options.
However, there is one man who Benitez is well acquainted with who could provide exactly what he is looking for on a bargain price; former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.
The Spanish striker has confirmed that he plans to leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the current campaign when his contract runs out, having struggled for game time at his hometown club.
Having established himself as a proven Premier League talent with Benitez’s Reds, with 85 top flight goals for both the Anfield outfit as well as Chelsea, the 34-year-old could still do a job for the Magpies, and his experience would be invaluable to the rest of the Newcastle squad.
It might be a final swansong for the veteran striker, but there would be no better man to play under one final time than the boss who helped him carve out a successful career in England.
In other Newcastle United transfer news, the club are eyeing up a 17-goal striker set for the exit this summer.
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