Newcastle Linked With Surprise Move for Aberdeen Striker Sam Cosgrove

Newcastle have been linked with a surprise move for towering Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove as Steve Bruce looks to strengthen his striking options.

Cosgrove has been one of the Scottish Premiership's most consistent strikers over the past two seasons, with 44 goals in all competitions spanning across the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns. The 6'4 target man terrorised SPFL defences and even managed six goals in six appearances in Europa League qualifying last term.

Aberdeen's financial situation saw them accept a £2m bid from Guingamp in July but the Englishman opted to stay put under Derek McInnes. He's since suffered from a disrupted start to this season - a serious knee injury and a controversial breach of Covid regulations kept him out of the team until November.

He has been gingerly reintroduced by McInnes but has managed to score just once in his six appearances, looking more like the naff striker who couldn't hit a barn door in his debut season than the talisman that has ragdolled defenders in recent years.

Newcastle, however, seem willing to look past his recent dip, with the Scottish Sun reporting that scouts from Tyneside are assessing his viability. They say the Magpies have 'targeted' Cosgrove, but don't really elaborate, only adding that they have 'made checks' on the 24-year-old.

The Yorkshire-born striker came through the ranks at Everton before joining Wigan's academy at Under-18 level. He dotted around with a couple of non-league loan spells before joining Carlisle permanently in 2017, where he would fail to make the grade over 18 months.

His move north of the border initially seemed as if it would come to nothing as he failed to hit the back of the net in the second half of the 2017/18 season. But he regrouped over the summer and came back a prolific goalscorer, and was second only to Alfredo Morelos in the scoring charts in his first full season.

Bruce is seemingly on the lookout for a physical presence in the final third with neither Joelinton or Andy Carroll cutting the mustard as things stand. Cosgrove may be seen as a backup or potentially a foil for Callum Wilson, who has already scored more Premier League goals this season (7) than any Newcastle player did in 2019/20.