Newcastle scouts head to Germany to see Monchengladbach star
Published:
Newcastle United are stepping up their interest in Borussia Monchengladbach striker Max Kruse, with club scouts reportedly in Germany to watch the 26-year-old in action over the weekend.
According to a report from The Chronicle, representatives from the north east club ran the rule over the player during Gladbach’s trip to second-placed Wolfsburg on Sunday, ahead of a potential move for the forward in January.
A former cult favourite at St Pauli, Kruse first came to the attention of Die Fohlen after impressing at Freiburg during the 2012/13 season, having been signed as a replacement for the outgoing Papiss Cisse.
The German scored 11 goals in 34 league games for the Bundesliga outfit before sealing a switch to Gladbach where the goals continued to flow with 12 top-flight strikes last term earning a call-up to the national side – though he failed to make the cut for Joachim Loew’s World Cup squad.
The former Werder Bremen academy star has made a blistering start to the current campaign, scoring five goals in just six league appearances with Gladbach setting a new club record after going 18 games unbeaten in all competitions.
And he could now be the subject of a big-money bid from Newcastle this January, with the Toon making no secret of their desire to recruit another striker.
The club had previously been linked with Marseille hitman Andre-Pierre Gignac, however they face stiff competition to land the Frenchman, with Galatasaray entering the race to sign the L’OM striker, who is reportedly keen to move away from Ligue 1.
Kruse could cost the Toon as much as £10 million but it could prove to be money well spent with the versatile striker as much a playmaker as he is an out-and-out goalscorer with his passing and crossing abilities notable assets.
Deadly from dead-ball situations, Kruse also has a reputation for shooting from distance and is more than capable of leading the line as a lone striker.
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