da aposte e ganhe： Per The Daily Mail, Newcastle are interested in signing Hull City forward Abel Hernandez when his contract with the Championship club expires at the end of the campaign. It’s been a strange season for the 27-cap Uruguayan. On the one hand, he’s notched up eight goals in as many league starts; on the other, he’s missed the vast majority of it through injury.
da bwin： And it appears the majority of Newcastle fans share the club’s interest. When we asked them if they’d back a summer deal for Hernandez, 59% of those who took part in our poll voted yes. But does the South American attacker represent a shrewd piece of business for the Magpies, or should they steer well clear? Football FanCast take a look at three potential consequences – some good, some bad – of Newcastle swooping for the Tigers front-man this summer.
Adam Armstrong’s development is stifled
Armstrong’s spent the vast majority of his senior Newcastle career out on loan, but at the age of 21, the young forward needs to make an impact at first-team level for the Magpies sooner rather than later. Ending the season with a solid loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, netting nine times in 16 League One starts, the timing certainly feels right for Armstrong to step up, carrying that confidence and form into next season.
However, starting opportunities will be even more limited on Tyneside than they already are should Hernandez move there this summer. Rafa Benitez could still have Dwight Gayle, Ayoze Perez and Joselu to choose from as well, potentially placing Amstrong at a lowly fifth in the striker pecking order.
Islam Slimani deal isn’t made permanent
Slimani’s loan spell with the Toon has hardly been a resounding success anyway, but any move for Hernandez would suggest Newcastle aren’t interested in signing the Algerian striker permanently – and that will disappoint some Magpies fans. Although his overall influence has been limited, Slimani’s shown glimpses of what he can offer this Newcastle team in terms of physical presence up front, and Leicester’s seeming keenness to sell had thrown up the prospect of a reasonably-priced summer deal.
It’s unlikely Newcastle will want to sign both though; in addition to Slimani’s potential transfer fee, there’s also the wage bill to think about.
Newcastle rest scoring hopes on injury-prone player
Scoring goals has probably been the biggest problem on Tyneside this season, with only five Premier League teams netting fewer than the Magpies’ 35. That’s obvious why they’re targeting Hernandez, but the Uruguayan striker comes with huge risk in terms of injuries, having made more than 26 league appearances during just one of his four campaigns in England. Even during the current seasonn, Hernandez was sidelined from August until March with a ruptured Achilles.
It’s taken a huge toll on Hull City’s season, the Championship side only just moving clear of relegation bother, and could have an even more debasing impact on Newcastle’s 2018/19. After all, their survival hopes for next season will take a huge blow if the 27-year-old limps off during the first few games and isn’t seen again until the end of the season. Even if Hernandez’s next injury isn’t quite so severe, Newcastle are still putting a lot of faith in one injury-prone player.
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