A local hero who smashed the Championship last season, it’s taken a while but finally Adam Armstrong has come into his own.
Too many loans away from Newcastle United caused his patience to run out. The selling of him to Blackburn Rovers for £1.71million was not a popular move. But there was just no room for him at St James’ Park at the time.
Of course, Armstrong’s sale came back to bite Newcastle squarely on the behind, as the striker finished the Championship campaign as the league’s second-highest scorer, despite playing 10 fewer games than Ivan Toney (another former Newcastle man who they let slip by.)
Now 24, Armstrong will be sizing up his worth. It’s another season in the second tier with the Lancashire club – where his contract runs until 2022 – or a move to bigger and better things: maybe an attempt to break into the Premier League.
He’s not short on options either – Southampton and Norwich City are keen on securing the services of the striker, according to the Daily Mail.
He’ll come at a relatively cheap price. £8million has been mooted in the same report – and for Newcastle, his price drops even still further.
It’s not every day that the Newcastle hierarchy gets it right, but negotiating that 40% sell-on clause was a wonderful piece of business.
This means that Armstrong could be available for £4.8million for the club. Pocket change.
What’s more, they are in need of another striker, one who can fill in for Callum Wilson, someone who’s clinical in front of goal and is quick.
Armstrong scored the most goals from open play in the Championship last season. No doubt, approaching 25 years old, there’s plenty of improvement to come.
What’s not lost, too, is the importance in him being from the local area. His emotional connection to his boyhood club will only inspire him further.
Former England international Joe Cole said back in 2015 when they were at the Sky Blues: “Armstrong reminds me of [Sergio] Aguero, he’s of the same build and he’s hungry for goals.
“In a lovely way he’s selfish for goals and has the ingredients to be a top player and go on to score many more goals.”
At the moment, Newcastle rely just on Wilson to bang in the goals. Other than that, they must look at on Miguel Almirion and Allan Saint-Maximin to supply.
Andy Carroll and Joelinton struggled to find the back of the net last season. The addition of Armstrong is a complete no-brainer, especially given the low price they will have to pay to Rovers for his services.
Surely even Newcastle can’t be that stringent.
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