According to the Chronicle, Newcastle have been offered the chance to resign Loic Remy on loan for the rest of the season. The 29-year-old is being mooted as a quick fix option for January, as the Magpies look to add to their poor goals tally and even poorer league position. But would it really be the right decision? At 29, Remy isn't exactly a spring chicken, and though he's still looked sharp when he's got playing time for Chelsea, he's not playing all that regularly and Newcastle would run the risk of waiting for him to get back to sharpness. That's arguably better than looking to sign a young European striker with no experience of the Premier League, but it's still something of a gamble. At this stage, the options for Newcastle are being suggested as Charlie Austin, someone unknown who fits the transfer agenda of signing affordable talents with appreciation potential, or a short-term solution like Remy. Or sticking with the misfiring front-line who are not profiting from Steve McClaren's approach to football. Remy is a good player, and he was a good short term solution for Newcastle previously, but he would only be short-term and Newcastle need to be looking to build towards the longer term. Perhaps there's faith that Mitrovic and Perez will blossom in time for next season, with Coventry's new goal hero Adam Armstrong returning? Perhaps the Magpies just want to get this season over and done with and stay in the Premier League at any cost? Either way, with Remy they would still need another striker signing in the summer (assuming everyone stays), and by the summer Austin may no longer be available. The Frenchman would also fit the bill for fans looking for Premier League experience (as if that was any bonus with Michael Owen and Mark Viduka) and there's no doubting that he knows where the goal is. It wouldn't be the only thing needed of course: Newcastle need a dramatic tactical shift if they want anyone to score them goals, and adding Remy to the current squad might not even guarantee any great upturn in goal-scoring terms anyway. Unless the creativity on show at Arsenal wasn't as short-lived as some cynical fans might think. Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink refused to be drawn into the matter:
He is our player, we are not going into that. We need all our players until the end of the season. You know as much as I do, Chelsea is still in a position where they have to improve a lot to go up the table; we need all the players for this moment. We dont go into rumors.
So maybe it's not as simple as asking whether he's the right man for the job. He might not even be available to be called on yet. Would you sign Loic Remy for Newcastle? Share your reactions to this story in the comments thread.
