According to reports in the Daily Mail, West Bromwich Albion are lining up an £18m move for Newcastle United target and out of favour Watford striker Troy Deeney, who has scored 25 Premier League goals for the Hornets, before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday.
ESPN FC reported on January 3 that Magpies manager Rafa Benitez had identified the 29-year-old as his top target this month, but a move has so far failed to materialise with the Tyneside outfit instead bidding for Feyenoord's Nicolai Jorgensen.
Now the Daily Mail reports that former Toon boss Alan Pardew wants the Midlands-born Deeney to boost his 19th-placed side, with the centre-forward left out of the Hornets squad as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the fourth round of the FA Cup at St Mary’s on Saturday.
Benitez will also be desperate to add some attacking reinforcements to his squad in the coming days with his team scoring just 22 goals in their 24 Premier League matches so far this term, and bringing Deeney to St James' Park could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons Newcastle must hijack West Brom's bid to sign the striker, and save their season…
Goals/Assists
Deeney has shown how good a goalscorer he can be during his time with Watford after scoring 109 goals in 320 appearances for the club, and he has been a generally impressive performer for them during their spell in the Premier League.
The striker has netted 25 top flight goals in 90 top flight appearances for the Hornets, while he has also provided a further 14 assists to show his creativity and unselfishness too.
Those are two areas that Newcastle have been lacking in this season, and there is no doubt that Deeney would add something to their attacking play.
His qualities
Deeney is a big character and Watford's captain, and Newcastle look as though they may need that kind of experience and leadership in the final months of the campaign if they are to retain their Premier League status.
The 29-year-old has shown that he isn’t afraid to put his body on the line and be a nuisance for opposition defenders, and according to WhoScored.com, he has won 55 of the 132 aerial duels he has faced in 15 top flight appearances for Watford this season.
Point to prove
Deeney has been in and out of the Watford side this season and was left out of the squad to face Southampton on Saturday completely, and he will certainly have a big point to prove if he does leave the Hornets for another Premier League team before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old will be keen to show that he should be starting regularly and can still make a big impact at this level, and that determination and motivation would only be a good thing for a team like Newcastle if they win the race for his signature.
Do you agree, Newcastle fans? Let us know below.