Newcastle to raid Celtic for this 25-goal man – The right move by the Magpies?

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Rohan Sengupta

Why Newcastle United must plot a summer swoop for Odsonne Edouard

Former Kilmarnock defender Alex Bruce has told Football Insider (h/t The Scottish Sun) that he has asked Newcastle United manager and father Steve Bruce to launch a bid for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in the summer.

Odsonne Edouard, 22, has built his reputation in Scotland since he joined Celtic on loan in 2017 from Paris Saint-Germain, before making his deal permanent the following summer. He’s been in sublime form this season for Neil Lennon’s side this season, scoring 25 goals and supplying 17 assists in 41 games across all competitions.

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)
Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)

Newcastle United, meanwhile, lost once again to Crystal Palace last week, falling to a 1-0 defeat at Selhurst Park as Patrick van Aanholt scored the only goal of the game. And to that end, it is baffling that Bruce didn’t address his team’s goalscoring problems last month.

Newcastle broke their transfer record to sign Joelinton from Hoffenheim in the summer but the centre-forward has netted only once in the Premier League so far. Joelinton is yet to adapt to the demands of English football. The Brazilian has struggled to find support from his fellow forwards under Bruce, leaving him isolated up front more often than not.

The Magpies’ other strikers such as Andy Carroll, Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto are yet to contribute with a league goal this term. Thus, it’s vital for Newcastle to sign a reliable goalscorer ahead of the 2020/21 season and Bruce must listen to his son’s advice and go for Odsonne Edouard.

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce reacts angrily on the touchline. (Getty Images)
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce reacts angrily on the touchline. (Getty Images)

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Edouard is the Scottish Premiership’s leading goalscorer this term with 20 goals as Neil Lennon’s men chase down nine-in-a-row.

The Frenchman has bagged 60 goals in 122 appearances at Parkhead, proving himself in Scotland. The former PSG youth star already looks a complete package at just 22.

Verdict

Regardless of the fact that the Edouard has no previous experience in English football, Newcastle must purely look at Muriqi’s goal-scoring record in Scotland and plot a summer swoop for him. All in all, the former France Under-21 international would definitely bolster the Magpies’ forward department next season.