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Newcastle are reportedly interested in Roma target man Edin Dzeko.
What’s the story?
According to Tuttomercatoweb, both Newcastle and West Ham have tested the waters with “proposals” for Dzeko.
The Roma striker has fallen out with teammate Stephan El Shaarawy claims the report, with Sunday’s 4-1 home defeat to Napoli seemingly the straw that broke the camel’s back in an already fractured squad.
And the report claims Roma will now look to sell their front man, hoping for around €25m (£21.3m), while both the Magpies and Hammers have tentatively submitted offers around €10m (£8.5m) for the 33 year-old.
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Is he good enough?
There is no question that Dzeko is good enough to lead the line for a Premier League side.
Even at 33 the ex-Manchester City man still knows how to stick the ball in the back of the net, scoring 12 and adding eight assists this season in 31 games in all competitions.
His last campaign was even more impressive, grabbing 24 goals and seven assists including eight strikes in the Champions League.
The Bosnian international has racked up 313 goals for club and country throughout his career, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Is he the right fit?
Despite all Dzeko’s talent, is he the right fit for Newcastle? Quite simply, no.
The towering Roma target man’s biggest weakness is his lack of mobility, and what does Rafael Benitez want from all of his target men? You guessed it.
Salomon Rondon’s ability to tirelessly run the channels is just as crucial to Benitez as his ability to win balls in the air, and Dzeko only does the latter.
He has also has a nasty streak to him, something the Magpies have already experienced with Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Bosnian was suspended for two matches for appearing to spit at a referee.
Add all this to Mike Ashley’s general rule against signing players on the wrong side of 30, and fans may as well forget about the £20.7m-rated Dzeko.