Newcastle United have been approached by intermediaries of former Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge over the prospect of bringing in the 31-year-old on a free transfer until the end of the season, as reported by 90min.com.
The Magpies have been dealt a major blow with the news that Callum Wilson is set to be out of action for the next couple of months with a hamstring injury he suffered in the recent 3-2 win against Southampton. That leaves Steve Bruce short of options in the attacking third and facing a choice between Dwight Gayle, Andy Carroll and Joelinton at centre-forward, who have scored just three league goals between them this term.
Newcastle have reportedly been offered the chance to make a surprise move to bring Sturridge back to the Premier League, with the 31-year-old a free agent since leaving Turkish side Trabzonspor in March 2020. The former Liverpool striker is keen to secure a return to English football and believes he still has plenty to offer in the Premier League, according to 90min.com.
Sturridge is also attracting the attention of both West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United, with the pair having made contact over the potential availability of the 26-cap England international. That suggests that the Magpies might have to make a swift decision over whether they want to offer him a temporary deal before he moves elsewhere.
Read Newcastle verdict
This has come somewhat out of the blue, but it might actually make sense as a stopgap solution for the Magpies with Wilson out injured for around six to eight weeks. However, it would depend on how fit Sturridge is at the moment and whether he would be able to come in and make an immediate impact or need time to get up to speed.
The 31-year-old’s career has nosedived over the last few years, with Sturridge being one of the best English forwards in the Premier League for most of his time at Liverpool. He also went to the 2014 World Cup with England, even scoring against Italy in the group stage, one of his eight goals for the national team.
That shows he has plenty of pedigree and quality, but his fitness and attitude has been called into question at times. It would be something of a gamble for the Magpies, but it would not be the worst move if they can get him on low wages.
Without Wilson, they need of someone to step up and fill the scoring void, and you cannot see many goals coming from their current options, with Miguel Almiron the only other Newcastle player with more than three goals this term.
