Come the end of May Newcastle's striking department could be inhabited by just one senior but horrendously out-of-sorts forward and a promising albeit raw teenager yet to start a Premier League game. The need for Ashley to plough money into replenishing the Magpies' attack has never been greater and McCormack should be one of the players heading Pardew's summer shopping list. It was the 27-year-old who carried the burden of keeping Leeds afloat during a messy takeover earlier this season upon seizing the captains armband from Rudolph Austin and evolving into a beacon of stability and inspiration for the club. A trait that would make him a popular figure Tyneside besides that fact that he is a creative and industrious attacker with a sharp eye for goal, the Scotland internationals impressive total of 28 saw him pip the prolific Jordan Rhodes to the Championship's leading goalscorer crown. Leeds will be reluctant to part with their talisman but McCormack's recent admission that he is keen to play in the top-flight could twist their arm and it's likely that Newcastle could pick him up for a modest sum. A punt worth taking, if you ask this writer, on player that could light up St James'.
