Former England international Paul Robinson has claimed RB Leipzig forward Ademola Lookman could replace Newcastle United fan favourite Allan Saint-Maximin as the key man in Steve Bruce’s plans.
Lookman is reportedly scheduled to hold a medical on Tyneside by the end of the week ahead of a loan-to-buy move from his current Bundesliga side, whom he joined from Everton in a £22.5million transfer last summer.
United struck a breakthrough in negotiations with Leipzig over a deal for Lookman during the week, with Toon chiefs now hopeful that a move for the former England U21 international will be concluded swiftly.
Lookman had struggled to establish himself at Goodison Park before leaving for Germany in 2019, where he has lived life on the fringes under Julian Nagelsmann with the Leipzig boss only handing out one start in three Bundesliga appearances.
Newcastle will need Lookman to play a far greater role under Bruce, should the deal go through, after it became evidently clear just how much we rely on Saint-Maximin to drive us forward.
Robinson seems to feel it is a firm possibility that Lookman will help relieve some of the burden from Saint-Maximin, having lauded the Charlton Athletic product as a potential key addition to Bruce’s ranks.
“I think Lookman will be a good addition,” Robinson told Football Insider. “You don’t know what budget they’ve got to spend, he was at Everton, he knows the league, so it could be a good move for him.
“He’ll be a key addition because I think they’ve missed Saint-Maximin, I think they’ve really missed him. He was just finding his form, he was becoming a real threat. He’s key because he carries the attacking threat.”
Can Lookman be a key player for Bruce?
Yes
No
Bruce’s offence was a shadow of itself over the festive period without Saint-Maximin while the £20m summer signing was sidelined with a hamstring injury, though the 22-year-old could soon return after being pictured back in training.
If Lookman is able to find his feet in Black and White quickly and establish himself in Bruce’s fold, having him and Saint-Maximin on the field could open many doors for United to sweep up points in the coming weeks.
But with Chelsea, Everton and Arsenal on the horizon, plus a chance to seek revenge over Norwich City, Lookman’s start to life at St. James’ Park could come with a heavy weight of expectation.
In other Newcastle United news, a £1.8m-rated Toon man is keen to discuss his future at St. James’ Park amid vast interest in his signature.