Newcastle United World Cup pick staying in Premier League
Published:Magpies’ favourite Shola Ameobi may have brought his Newcastle career to an end in true Zidane style – he was sent off in his final appearance – but he could now be set to stay in the Premier League.
Picked as part of Stephen Keshi’s preliminary Nigeria squad for the World Cup, an impressive showing in Brazil could see the 32-year-old subject to numerous contract offers from the Premier League and abroad.
But one team looking to steal a march on their rivals in the race to land the experienced marksman is Hull City, with the Chronicle today linking the Tigers with a bid for the former England under-21 international.
Ameobi has so far spoken little about his plans for life after Newcastle, but having spent almost 20 years on the books of the Tyneside club, it is fair to say the forward is fairly settled in the area.
A move to nearby Hull could therefore prove ideal, as well as allowing Ameobi to remain a Premier League player.
Steve Bruce has identified the 32-year-old as a key transfer target according to some reports and while the recently-purchased duo of Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic are likely to be the first-choice attacking duo, Ameobi represents ideal cover for the Tigers, who are keen to kick on domestically.
Hull may have made it all the way to the FA Cup Final – a feat that will see them play in the Europa League next term – but they finished the season by picking up just one point from their final five domestic fixtures.
Bolstering a squad that clearly ran out of steam towards the end of the campaign, therefore, represents something of a priority and with less money to spend following the January splurge of Jelavic and Long.
The Premier League side could face some competition though, with Ipswich previously linked with the forward, who would most likely benefit from regular first-team football at the Championship club.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
