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BBC Sport report Newcastle United want to buy free scoring Captain of Tanzania in January

4 years ago
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Mbwana Samatta is a January target for Newcastle United according to BBC Sport.

The Genk striker made headlines on Tuesday when equalising against Liverpool but the Belgian club’s hopes of qualifying from the group were ended when Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a second half winner.

Mbwana Samatta also scored in an earlier Champions League defeat to Red Bull Salzburg.

Ian Dennis of BBC Radio Five Live says his information is that as well as Newcastle, West Ham are also considering a January move, as the clubs look to add goals mid-season.

A deal for the 26 year old striker has the added attraction of him having a £10m release clause according to Ian Dennis.

Now that Genk are out of the Champions League reckoning, there would appear to be little to discourage Mbwana Samatta from leaving if a Premier League club came calling.

In the league Genk are already 13 points off Club Brugge at the top, sitting in eighth.

Despite that, Mbwana Samatta has scored six in 12 league starts this season and since arriving in Europe at Genk in 2016, he has scored 55 goals in 104 league starts (plus 33 sub appearances), as well as 16 goals in Europe (Champions League and Europa League) in 31 starts (3 sub appearances).

Turning 27 next month, the Tanzania captain just about qualifies under Mike Ashley’s age restrictions on signings, so interesting to see if there is anay substance in this transfer report. Especially with it not coming from one of the usual clickbait/attention seeking sources.

As all Newcastle fans know, there are no guarantees when you bring in strikers from Europe who haven’t played in the Premier League  before. However, at the reported £10m release clause, there will surely be somebody taking a punt shortly.

With 23 goals in 36 league starts last season, Mbwana Samatta helped Genk win the title, so nothing new for him to achieve now in Belgium.

After scoring in the defeat at Liverpool, Mbwana Samatta said:

“I don’t think we’re ever happy to lose.

“We did well but we are disappointed to end up on the losing side.

“We have two big games coming up (to end the CL group) and we’ll try and do our best to finish the group well.

“We lost as a group, although we played a good game, but in the end we lost the game so my goal is not so important.”

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