Obafemi Martins was somewhat of a modern hero for Newcastle United after many years of discontent on and off the pitch.
The Nigerian forward arrived at St James’ Park back in the summer of 2006 from Italian side Inter Milan, going on to have a huge impact on the Magpies squad.
He registered a total of 30 goals in his 88 appearances for the club, including 17 in his debut campaign, helping Newcastle register a 13th-placed finish in the Premier League.
Martins would leave the Magpies in 2009, three years after his arrival, following the relegation to the Championship, with the Nigerian moving to German side VfL Wolfsburg.
However, 15 years on from his departure, the club have been presented with the opportunity to sign one player who could follow in his footsteps on Tyneside.
Newcastle could sign £25m talent this summer
In recent weeks, Newcastle have been touted for a move with various options in the final third to help bolster Eddie Howe’s side.
However, as of yet, no deal has been agreed with any of their transfer targets, with the club potentially needing to reopen talks to sign one star.
Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto has previously been on the Magpies’ radar earlier this month over a potential move to the club, but despite their rumoured interest, no deal has been explored for the 20-year-old Italian.
The forward enjoyed a successful campaign in the Championship last season, scoring eight and assisting two, however, it wasn’t enough to secure an immediate return to England’s top flight.
After Leeds’ failure to return to England’s top flight, Daniel Farke’s side are willing to part ways with the youngster for £25m, potentially providing an alternative for another player who’s recently caught the of Magpies boss Howe.
How Gnonto compares to Noni Madueke
Over the weekend, it was reported that Newcastle had agreed personal terms with Chelsea winger Noni Madueke over a potential move to St James’ Park ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The 22-year-old has failed to nail down a regular first-team spot at Stamford Bridge last season, with a potential move on the cards to allow him to gain regular first-team minutes.
Despite the interest, Howe could prioritise a move for Gnonto, with the youngster producing some impressive stats, albeit in a slightly lower-quality decision.
The Italian, who’s previously been dubbed “the new Obafemi Martins” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, managed three more goal contributions in 2023/24, averaging a higher goal per shot-on-target rate than the English winger.
He also averaged nearly double the amount of crosses per 90, potentially benefitting the likes of Alexander Isak who could further improve his goalscoring tally of 21 Premier League goals from last season.
Although they’re both attacking-minded players, Gnonto has also bettered Madueke defensively, winning 1.3 tackles per 90, compared to Madueke’s tally of just 0.9 over the same period.
Whilst Madueke would undoubtedly provide a great option on the right-hand side for Howe, Gnonto is a younger and potentially cheaper alternative to the Englishman, while the hope will be that he can follow in the footsteps of that man Martins.
The club need to act quickly to secure his services, however, with the Leeds man currently a man in demand amid interest from fellow Premier League side Everton.
