The Express & Star are reporting that the club may consider Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia as a cheaper alternative to West Brom’s Salomon Rondon.
We are reportedly still interested in the Venezuelan despite being put off by the costs of signing the striker earlier this summer. The 28-year-old has a £16.5m release clause but other fees could lead to the deal costing more than £20m.
Kodjia will certainly be available for a lot less with Villa making all of their stars available for transfer as they look to improve their finances.
In my opinion, a move for the Ivory Coast international would be a gamble that would probably not pay off. Although the forward can hold up the ball, and play out wide, his recent injury record and his lack of goals would be two major concerns for Rafa Benitez.
The 28-year-old was out for the majority of last campaign with an ankle injury, although he still managed 18 appearances, scoring just once. After moving from Bristol City for an initial £11m in 2016, he scored 18 goals for Villa in the Championship.
His goal record in the second tier is pretty decent, averaging one goal every 2.6 games, but it hardly suggests he would be prolific in the top-flight. What do you think? Let me know in the poll: