The 2018 World Cup is well underway and there are a number of players that have already made a big impact for their country in their opening group game, and surely some of them will have caught the eye of Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez.
The Spaniard will want to be backed by owner Mike Ashley in the transfer market this summer if they are to build upon their 10th-place finish on their first season back in the Premier League, in order to ensure they don’t have to look over their shoulder in the upcoming campaign.
Considering the former Liverpool and Real Madrid chief’s current team had a decent defensive record last term but struggled to put the ball in the back of the net having netted just 39 goals in their 38 top flight matches, his priority will surely be to strengthen his attacking options.
The 58-year-old manager will already have his targets in mind – Toon fans on Twitter hate the idea of signing a previously-linked 27-year-old – a previous but he may well have been convinced by the displays of a number of individuals in Russia, too.
Here are three World Cup stars that Benitez has surely added to his summer transfer wishlist…
One of Benitez’s priorities this summer may well be to add some more strength in depth and quality in wide areas, especially if he fails to sign Kenedy on a permanent basis from Chelsea.
Sisto is one player that may well have caught his eye following a decent performance in Denmark’s 1-0 win against Peru on Saturday, where he showed the pace and skill he has cutting in from the left-hand side – something that he has done throughout the 2017/18 campaign for Celta Vigo.
The 23-year-old scored four goals and provided a further 10 assists in 34 La Liga appearances, and there is no doubt that he would add something to a Newcastle frontline that has struggled at times.
Like Sisto, Zuber played from the left-hand side for Switzerland in their impressive 1-1 draw with pre-tournament favourites Brazil on Sunday, and he even got his nation’s goal with a bullet header from Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner.
The 26-year-old certainly impressed with his pace and trickery against Danilo at the weekend, and having not been a regular for club side Hoffenheim last term – he made 21 Bundesliga appearances, scoring once and assisting twice – he could well be ready to earn a move away following four years with the German outfit.
Newcastle have been heavily linked with Sisto’s Danish teammates Nicolai Jorgensen in 2018, but perhaps Rafa should be taking a closer look at Finnbogason instead, who impressed and scored Iceland’s first-ever World Cup goal on Saturday.
The 29-year-old was in the right place at the right time to finish well against Argentina, and with 12 goals and three assists in 22 Bundesliga appearances for Augsburg last term, he has shown that he is a regular goalscorer at a decent level – he netted 53 times in 62 Eredivisie outings for Heerenveen previously.
The Magpies need more firepower alongside Dwight Gayle and Joselu, and the Icelandic centre-forward may be the answer to their issue.
Do you agree, Newcastle fans? Let us know below.
