Having registered their comeback into the Premier League, Newcastle United are looking to rebuild their team and make it strong enough to compete with strong EPL teams likes Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Quite a few top players are on their list, the Magpies are looking to secure the signature of Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez for the next season.
The Magpies are currently looking for a striker who can be used alongside their attacking man Dwight Gayle and the England international looks like the one for them. Rodriguez has bagged five goals for the Saints this season in 27 appearances, but the lack of regular football has kept him from showing his true potential.
Jay Rodriguez has been one of many young players who has a lot of potential for the future. However, he has only registered nine appearances under Claude Puel this season and that has reportedly frustrated the forward as he’s seeking a move away from St. Mary’s. the 27-year-old signed for Southampton from Burnley in 2013 for a reported fee of £7 million and was in the best form of his life in his first season for Southampton. To mention his misfortune, he bagged a horrific knee injury in 2014 that kept him out of action for his side for a long period of eleven months. He eventually made the comeback but has struggled to find his old form.
According to reports, Newcastle’s manager Rafael Benitez will be holding talks with the club’s hierarchy for a possible £100 million move to bring the Englishman to St. James Park in the summer to strengthen his current side. Benitez has made it clear earlier this year he might be open to leaving the club if he is not given the full authority over the transfer of players at the club for the next season.
Newcastle’s chiefs, reportedly, have given him full access regarding the sale of players, though there have not been any reports over the Spanish manager regarding the transfer budget. Report recently suggest he’s likely to be given a transfer budget of £75 million for new acquisitions this summer, according to The Mirror.
Apart from moving to Newcastle United, Jay Rodriguez has been subject to series of transfer reports linking him to a number clubs including West Bromwich Albion. Tony Pulis has been a long-term admirer of the former Burnley man and has been trying everything in his power to bring him to the Hawthorns for a long time. If reports are anything to go by, Pulis made a bid worth £10 million to sign Rodriguez during the January transfer window, only to his bid rejected by Southampton. Well, reports claimed that Pulis might make an improved bid this summer for his target.