According to reports in The Mirror, out-of-favour Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is reportedly a target for Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion during the January transfer window.
The centre-forward has endured an up-and-down career with the Magpies following his move from Anderlecht in 2015, with his poor temperament often overshadowing the ability that he does have on the pitch.
His issues were summed up perfectly in August when he came off of the substitutes’ bench to score in the 3-0 win against West Ham United at St James’ Park, but he was retrospectively banned for three Premier League matches after being found guilty of elbowing Irons midfielder Manuel Lanzini.
The 23-year-old missed the games against Swansea City, Stoke City and Brighton as a result, and his future has certainly been thrown up in the air after Rafa Benitez failed to name him in the squad for the draw against Liverpool last time out.
Despite the obvious issues that the Spaniard has with his striker, he would be making a mistake if he took the south coast outfit up on a potential future offer.
Here are three reasons Newcastle must not sell Mitrovic to the Seagulls in the New Year…
Brighton are a direct rival
It already looks as though it could be another tight battle down at the bottom of the Premier League this season with the teams from eighth to 17th last term separated by just six points.
As two newly-promoted clubs, it certainly wouldn’t be crazy to expect Newcastle and Brighton to be involved towards the wrong end of the table despite the former winning three of their seven top flight fixtures so far this season, and selling Mitrovic to a team that is undoubtedly a direct rival would be a huge risk.
If it did come down to either the Magpies or the Seagulls being relegated at the end of the campaign and the Serbia international scored the goals that kept the south coast outfit up, it would be a huge blow and it is surely a chance Rafa Benitez cannot afford to take.
He could still have a role to play
While his on-pitch actions and lack of discipline and maturity have once again got him in trouble this season, the fact that Mitrovic has scored two goals in two appearances in all competitions for Newcastle this term shows that he can make a difference on the pitch.
Joselu and Dwight Gayle may be Benitez’s preferred options up top right now, but if the Spaniard was to lose the former and wanted a more physical presence in attack then he would likely have to turn to the Serbia international.
The 23-year-old has shown that he is a good finisher and is strong in the air, and he could prove to be a useful player in the second half of the campaign.
The 2018 World Cup
The World Cup in Russia is now just eight months away and if Benitez is really considering selling Mitrovic, he should perhaps wait until after the tournament next summer.
The 23-year-old started for his country in the 1-0 win against Georgia on Monday night that secured their spot in Russia, and as he has proven to be such a key player for his nation it seems as though he will start for them there too.
We have seen a number of players secure big-money transfers following impressive World Cup performances over the years, and Newcastle must be thinking that they could be in line to receive a hefty and potentially inflated fee if the striker impresses at the tournament.
Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.