According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, West Bromwich Albion are in talks with Southampton over a £12m deal to sign Jay Rodriguez, with Newcastle United also said to be keen on the striker.

Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is keen to bring in a new attacker this summer to take some of the pressure off of last season’s top goalscorer Dwight Gayle, and with the futures of both Daryl Murphy and Aleksandar Mitrovic in doubt.

The Tyneside outfit have registered their interest in Rodriguez, who the Daily Telegraph say has been told he can leave the south coast outfit this summer despite the fact that the club is yet to appoint Claude Puel’s successor.

With the Baggies already said to have entered into discussions with Saints for the 27-year-old, meaning the Magpies may have to act quickly if they want to bring the England international to St James’ Park.

Here are three reasons Newcastle must win the race to sign Rodriguez…

Premier League experience

While Gayle has experience of playing in the top flight, Benitez may well want another striker with knowledge of playing at this level before the start of next season in order to boost his side’s chances of avoiding a relegation battle.

Even though Rodriguez has found first team starts hard to come by in recent seasons as he has made his way back from the terrible injury he suffered against Manchester City in 2014, he has still made more than 100 Premier League appearances, scoring 26 goals.

Price tag

The fact that Rodriguez could be available for just £12m will be something that will have caught the attention of Benitez, with the Spaniard being well aware that the 27-year-old scored five goals last term despite rarely starting for the Saints.

The striker showed glimpses of getting back to his old self through strikes such as the one against Bournemouth, and he will be hoping that he can try and recapture the form that saw him net 15 Premier League goals in the 2013/14 season before he suffered the injury.

In this day and age where transfer fees have gone mad, the price tag on Rodriguez’s head could prove to be a bargain.

Missing out on Abraham

Benitez’s need to bring in a new striker will have intensified even further with the news that Swansea City have won the race to sign Chelsea attacker Tammy Abraham on loan, with the England Under-21 international a top target for the Spaniard following his impressive displays on loan at Bristol City last term.

The Magpies won’t want to go down too far on their list of striker targets as they look to strengthen their squad significantly in the coming weeks, and making a concerted effort to sign Rodriguez would help solve that issue.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.