The Newcastle United fans in the Transfer Tavern are desperately hoping their club will defy convention and finally break their transfer record for a new centre-forward this summer. 

The Breakdown

At the end of a campaign which couldn't have gone much better for Newcastle United, there was one looming feeling which Benitez would have carried with him into the summer transfer window: the need for a prolific goalscorer. Newcastle eventually coasted to safety with relative ease as the likes of Matt Ritchie and Ayoze Perez stepped up to the plate to provide craft, guile and most importantly, goals during the closing months of the season.

Dwight Gayle - Newcastle's first choice centre-forward - led from the front and was a willing runner in a lone striker role, but it's clear he is lacking a level of quality which is needed to succeed in the Premier League.

With that in mind, it's little surprise that reports from Italian media outlet Calciomercato suggest that Newcastle are interested in signing a new centre-forward this summer, namely Yussuf Poulsen (valued at £9 million by Transfermarkt).

The Switzerland international impressed at the World Cup with his strong physical presence and close control, but he is far from a natural goalscorer.

The 24-year-old scored just 4 goals in the Bundesliga last season for RB Leipzig whilst playing alongside the prolific Timo Werner.

Although Poulsen is a natural centre-forward, he is also comfortable playing on the wing which would undoubtedly be a bonus for the Magpies in their bid to finish inside the top-half, but at this moment in time the club are in need of a goalscorer rather than a versatile attacker.

To further compound the issue for Benitez, Poulsen's stock will have risen considerably on the back of an impressive campaign in Russia, so he certainly would command a price way above his transfermarkt valuation if Newcastle made a formal approach for his services.

Whilst the lack of goals remains one of Newcastle's main weaknesses a move for Poulsen seems rather nonsensical, so Benitez should abandon his interest before he makes a severe error of judgement in the transfer market.

Newcastle fans - thoughts? Let us know below!