Newcastle United are reportedly rumoured to be showing an interest in Luton Town hotshot Elijah Adebayo.
According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle United sent scouts to watch a Championship game between Luton Town and Fulham last Saturday. Although the scouting mission was not for a specific player, one player that is believed to have caught the eye of the Magpies scout is in-form Hatters forward Elijah Adebayo, who scored the leveller in his side’s spirited 1-1 draw against the league leaders.
After progressing through the youth ranks at Fulham FC, Adebayo was loaned out to several lower-tier clubs to gain senior football experience before being snapped up by League Two outfit Walsall following his release from the Cottagers in 2019. Since then, the Englishman’s career has been on a steady rise as he jumped from League Two to become a regular fixture for Championship outfit Luton Town.
And it would be an understatement to say he has adjusted with ease. He showed glimpses of his talent towards the tail-end of the last campaign, bagging five goals from 15 Championship starts. However, the 23-year-old is truly flourishing this season, having already netted ten times from 20 outings in the second tier.
Given his age, attributes and stats, it is no surprise that Newcastle are taking note of the Championship sensation, with young English strikers always in great demand. Newcastle are currently sitting second from bottom in the Premier League but are expected to have plenty of money to spend when the January transfer market opens following the recent takeover by the Saudi-backed consortium.
It seems centre-forward is one of many positions that need to be strengthened in January. Callum Wilson has been a consistent goal contributor yet again for Newcastle but given his injury record and out-of-favour veteran striker Dwight Gayle looks set to leave on a January loan to the Championship. Thus, bringing in a backup is a must for the Toon.
Newcastle have recently been linked with Wolfsburg hitman Wout Weghorst, but it seems unlikely that the Magpies can attract his profile of strikers in their current predicament. The Magpies interest in Adebayo makes a whole lot of sense. It is also reported that rival Premier League clubs may not want to do business with them. Hence, a better alternative could be scouting for up and coming talents further down the pyramid, where clubs cannot refuse irresistible offers.
Like Wilson, Adebayo is a predator in and around the box, while his greatest asset is running in behind defenders with his pace, dribbling, and physicality. He is also good at holding onto the ball and linking up play. Although, it is risky to sign a young striker, unproven in the top-flight.
But the 23-year-old has taken the Championship by storm this season, indicating that the 6ft 4in striker has a promising future ahead of him, and that would be a gamble worth taking. As things stand, there is nothing mentioned about Newcastle considering a move for the 23-year-old. What now remains to be seen is whether the Magpies back their initial interest with a formal offer or turn to alternatives.
