The confirmation of Salomon Rondon’s loan signing means that Rafa Benitez will now have two new forward options heading into the new season.
Following on from the £9.5m signing of Yoshinori Muto from Mainz, we will likely see a new look front line on the opening day against Tottenham.
Fans on Twitter have been debating whether the duo can help improve our threat in front of goal, and it seems some are doubtful that goals will begin to flow more freely:
Big improvement, got rid of two championship rated strikers and replaced them with two decent strikers.
— Michael (@MichaelNUFC9) 6 August 2018
Not enough.
Muto is an unknown quantity but has never scored more than 10 goals a season outside Japan.
Rondon 7 PL goals last season compared to Gayle’s 6.
We’re standing still. Can’t improve with this ridiculous Ashley “business model”. #nufc
— Sam GC (@Funguslover) 6 August 2018
Give them a chance to show what they can do….. not the usual 2 games like we give every other player ! ????
— Craig (@craigrobso) 7 August 2018
I like both. Optimistic as Rafa seems to take average players and turn them into very good players. If either can get 15 goals I like our chances of survival.
— Chris Colwell (@ChrisX666) 7 August 2018
If you asked me if I would swap them for Gayle and Mitrovic, I would have said yes…
— Ben (@Bengn87) 6 August 2018
Rondon was a no brainer for the budget we have and from what i’ve heard of Muto he is fast over the first 5-6 yards and very good at making off the ball runs which can only be good with Shelvey in the side
— EndTwoEnd Lamar (@EndTwoEndLamar) 6 August 2018
Some are hoping the pair strike up a good partnership:
speed and strength, good combination I hope it works for us and they do well
— jimmy kelly (@xskye69x) 6 August 2018
To get the best out of both they need to play together the classic Big man Little man partnership
— Andrew Wells (@wellzy1995) 6 August 2018
Rondon averaged one goal in every four games for West Brom, while Muto averaged one in three for Mainz, which suggests that they won’t be prolific forwards for us.
However, I do think they are an improvement on Dwight Gayle and Joselu. The pair scored just ten between them for the club last season, and there is no doubt that we needed players to come in and improve on that meagre return.