Newcastle need to bring in a right-winger during the January transfer window, and Jarrod Bowen from Hull City has been rumoured to be a target for a long time now.
The 22-year-old winger-cum-forward would be an ideal signing, and with the Chronicle claiming he would be open to a move to St James’ Park, Newcastle should get the deal sorted now, ahead of the window opening.
He is everything Mike Ashley likes about a player. He is young, British, and – even at the reported £20 million fee – likely to have a quickly increasing sell-on value.
The report also claims Steve Bruce has an “eight figure sum” remaining in the transfer kitty, but whether that means £10m or £30m, no one knows.
Certainly, even if it means finding extra funds, signing a prospect like Bowen would be too good an opportunity to turn down, and if the player is genuinely interested in making the move, it would appear to be a no-brainer.
Lee Charnley must not approach a deal with low-balling tactics
The problem for Newcastle, of course, is when Lee Charnley is told a deal will take a bid of around £20m, he will almost certainly go in at around half that.
The result being a month-long, drawn-out saga, with Newcastle’s dithering meaning they lose out to a rival club, particularly as Southampton are also thought to have an interest in the Championship winger.
So if Newcastle are serious about their intent to show ambition, they must back Bruce, whether fans see him as the long-term manager at the club or not.
They need to strengthen the squad with talent, and do it swiftly, by finding the necessary funds, and making sure Bowen is on Tyneside holding aloft a black and white scarf before the Chrsitmas decorations come down.
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