Newcastle United are closing in on Chris Wood after triggering his release clause. Eyebrows were raised when the Magpies offered Burnley £25m to bring the 30-year old to St James’ Park, but Trevor Sinclair believes that could be “a snip”.
He says Wood has the skillset Newcastle need to get goals, so his lofty valuation will end up being priceless if Eddie Howe can get the Magpies supplying him bullets. Sinclair said on talkSPORT: “£25 million, I think that’s a snip.
“I’ve watched him a few times this season, I think he’s very mobile, his holdup play is great, he scores goals. He’s one in three over his whole career, and that is international football as well.”
Wood boasts 154 goals in 459 games (1 goal every 2.98 games) at club level and 27 goals from 59 caps for New Zealand (1 goal every 2.18 games).
Sinclair added: “He is a good footballer. He’s a good striker, and he’s proven in the Premier League. If you look at his stats – 12 goals last season, 14 the season before, 10, 10 – double figures almost guaranteed every season.”
The 30-year-old has scored only three goals in 17 Premier League games this campaign but netted 12 goals from 33 games in 2020/21, 14 goals from 32 games in 2019/20, 10 goals from 38 games in 2018/19 and 10 goals from 25 games in 2017/18.
Wood has hit double figures for league goals every season for Burnley up until now, so Sinclair is right to defend the transfer. And with the New Zealand interest being a 6ft 3in presence in the box, Newcastle’s endless crosses may finally have a good target to hit.
In other news, Kevin Campbell says ‘brilliant’ Chris Wood is ‘clever signing’ by Newcastle
