Newcastle United are keen on bringing in Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in the summer to revamp their attack. The 21-year-old Frenchman has been in splendid form for the Scottish club, scoring 27 goals and 19 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions for Celtic this season.
As per Daily Star, Magpies manager Steve Bruce has been having discussions with club officials and Edouard is a “top target”. Bruce has also shortlisted Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos, but it’s Odsonne Edouard who Bruce is keen on signing. Celtic will not let the French U21 international leave easily and a fee upwards of £30 million could actually force their hands.
Edouard signed for Celtic from Paris Saint-Germain for around £9 million in 2018 after spending the 2017-18 season on loan at the club. He has scored 60 goals in 126 appearances for The Hoops. He has been in sensational form for the France U21 side as well, scoring 11 goals in 6 appearances.
Odsonne Edouard: The goal-scorer they need?
Odsonne Edouard is a fantastic striker, who was signed as a replacement for another French striker, Moussa Dembélé. The Frenchman is a tall, strong, and smart footballer who can play with his back to goal, or drive at defences with his pace and dribbling. Edouard’s quick and clever feet allows him to drift past players when he drops deep, or even provide assists for his teammates.
He is not a selfish player in the final third, which clearly shows in his assists tally, racking up 31 assists for Celtic in his time at the club. Edouard ‘s ability in front of goal, physical attributes, as well as his assist-making ability makes him a good player for mid-table clubs. Newcastle United desperately need to sign a goalscoring striker next season, as Joelinton – who the club signed last summer, has hardly got any goals.
The Magpies have scored just 25 goals in 29 Premier League games in the 2019-20 season – joint-least goals scored, tied with bottom-placed Norwich City. Bruce and Newcastle have been lucky that teams below them have been poorer than them, and that may not be the situation next season. A player like Odsonne Edouard could fit in well with Bruce’s direct style of play and he could link up well with the likes of Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin making this an option which could well turn out to be profitable for the club, even in the long run.
Stats Courtesy: Transfermarkt