Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol has revealed that Newcastle United ‘watched’ striker Ludovic Ajorque over the weekend ahead of a potential move.
The Lowdown: Impressed
Ajorque impressed against an albeit weakened Liverpool team on Sunday night, assisting the second goal in a 3-0 away win for Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg.
The striker recorded eight assists in Ligue 1 last season on top of his 12 goals (Alessandro Schiavone is shocked teams haven’t been shopping for the striker sooner.
The Latest: Newcastle watch
Speaking to Sky Sports on Monday night, Solhekol revealed that the Magpies were among as many as eight clubs from the Premier League who ‘watched’ Ajorque ahead of a potential move:
“A player who we could be hearing a lot more from in the next couple of weeks played against Liverpool for Strasbourg at the weekend.
“He’s a striker called Ludovic Ajorque, 6ft 6in striker with a very good scoring record for them, is available for £18m.
“I’m told the clubs that watched him yesterday were Wolves, Everton, Leicester, West Ham, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Newcastle. He’s someone we might be hearing a lot more from.”
The Verdict: Different option
Hailed as a ‘beast’ by Schiavone, the six-foot-six Ajorque would offer a different option to Callum Wilson up top.
He has shown that he can perform consistently in a major league, racking up double figures in total goals and assists in each of the last four campaigns (Transfermarkt), and at 28 years of age, is a player in his prime.
Nonetheless, £18m could turn out to be a steal if he hits the ground running at St. James’ Park straight away, and with the level of competition for his signature, this is a deal that the Toon need to get done as soon as possible.