Clinton N’Jie would be a perfect signing for Newcastle United

According to the Sun, Newcastle United are interested to sign Cameroonian forward Clinton N’Jie on loan in January but the Magpies are likely o face stiff competition from the likes of Crystal Palace, Cardiff City and Burnley.

Any loan deal for the 25-year-old Marseille man would include an obligation to buy at the end of the season, claims the Sun.

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez believes that N’Jie can add that cutting edge to the attack and help the club move away from the relegation zone. (h/t Sun)

A product of Lyon’s youth system, N’Jie made his Ligue 1 debut in the 2012-13 season but it was in the 2014-15 season where he enjoyed his breakthrough. The Cameroonian registered 7 goals and 7 assists from 30 appearances in the Ligue 1 and his stellar run of form earned him a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, N’Jie struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and made only 8 substitute appearances for the Lilywhites in the 2015-16 season before he sealed a move back to France, this time with Marseille. The 25-year-old rediscovered his goal-scoring mojo in the Ligue 1 but he has fallen out of favour this term, starting only 2 games in the league so far.

N’Jie’s greatest asset is his versatility to play in multiple positions across the forward line. While he has the pace to play as a wide forward down the flanks, he has also been used through the middle as a centre-forward and a supporting striker.

A fast and agile striker blessed with quick feet and a sudden burst of pace, N’Jie believes in direct football and likes to take on the defenders with his silky dribbling skills and instant acceleration. Known for his movement off the ball, the Cameroonian has the knack of getting into the right positions to score goals.

To put things into perspective, Newcastle need a striker in January to bolster their attacking options. Rafael Benitez’s men currently 15th in the standings with 18 points from 21 games, just a couple of points above the relegation zone. However, the fact that the team has only scored 15 goals so far in the Premier League, should prompt the hierarchy to take immediate measures.

Jose Salomon Rondon has led Newcastle’s resurgence with some valuable strikes after a calamitous start to the season.

While the wingers Matt Ritchie, Jacob Murphy and Robert Kennedy have supplied crosses from the wide areas to set up Rondon for the headers, lack of creativity in the central areas of the park has hit Newcastle hard. In other words, they currently lack a pact striker with drive and determination who can rip apart the opposition.

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And that is exactly where someone like Clinton N’Jie fits the bill. He is likely to help Newcastle achieve a better scoring record in the second half of the season and they should aim to have the final say over their Premier League rivals in this transfer saga.