Insider slams reported Newcastle striker target, claims he won't fit in under Benitez
A Danish journalist who has followed Newcastle striker target Nicolai Jorgsensen for the past four years has criticised the player and claimed he doesn’t fit manager Rafa Benitez’ preferred “player personality”.
This follows an update from Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, who claimed that Newcastle have had a bid knocked back for Jorgensen.
He also claimed that Mike Ashley was willing to sanction a record-breaking move for the 27-year-old striker.
Newcastle have had a bid knocked back by Feyenoord for striker Nicolai Jorgensen. We’re told Mike Ashley is willing to break the club’s 12-year-old transfer record for the Danish international, but the Dutch side are looking for more than £20m.
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) January 23, 2018
Following this, Mark Douglas of the Chronicle tweeted an update that claimed Benitez had done his due diligence on the player and had wanted him previously in the summer.
So: Nicolai Jorgensen then. Interesting move by Rafa but seems he's done his due diligence on the striker. Wanted him in the summer. Sees him as fitting into the way he wants #nufc to play (see also Kenedy).
— Mark Douglas (@MsiDouglas) January 24, 2018
Jesper Toft Madsen, a prominent Danis journalist, replied to Douglas saying that he thought the move was an odd one.
He claimed that while Jorgensen is “strong, decent finisher, technically adept” he also suffers from a lack of pace and has “attitude problems”.
He went on to say, “Like Kenedy, he doesn’t seem to fit Rafa’s preferred player personality.”
Odd move. As a Danish journalist, I’ve been following Jørgensen since he returned to Copenhagen from Leverkusen. Strong, decent finisher, technically adept, but.. he lacks pace and has had attitude problems. Like Kenedy, he doesn’t seem to fit Rafa’s preferred player personality.
— Jesper Toft Madsen (@jespertoft) January 24, 2018
Football Insider comment:
This is an interesting update from someone who knows the player well. There are some plus points for the international striker, with Madsen claiming that he’s a decent finisher. But alarm bells might be ringing at the mention of “attitude problems” after Newcastle’s long-running saga with Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Newcastle fans always rated him but Benitez didn’t seem to want to suffer his attitude problems, and the last thing Newcastle need is a repeat. Mark Douglas of the Chronicle says that Benitez has done his due diligence and fans will be hoping this has been comprehensive. If Newcastle do break their transfer record for a striker, it needs to work of they could be in real trouble.
In other Newcastle United transfer news, a Premier League rival has launched a bid to secure the signing of the Magpies’ international powerhouse.