Could this Belgian goalscorer be heading to Newcastle?

Despite the worryingly slow start to proceedings Newcastle have made in the transfer window, the Magpies have acquired the services of the undeniably talented Loic Remy, a shrewd bit of business which adds much needed depth to our strike force.

However, many fans would agree that another option up front could be needed to ensure we don’t fall short in front of goal once the season kicks into gear and the inevitable injuries come about. Rumours of Kinnear monitoring the continent for another striker, therefore, shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

One of the players being linked with a move to St James’ Park is KRC Genk’s Jelle Vossen, who has earned himself a place on the coveted list of young players across Europe that Newcastle are supposedly courting.

No doubt, the 24 year old looks impressive on paper, scoring 78 league goals in 148 games for the Belgian outfit, with a particularly impressive 2011/12 campaign in which he managed 27 goals in all competitions.

Of course, it’s easy and, quite frankly, naive of me to simply wax lyrical about numbers on a screen. Perhaps the figures would be all the more striking if Vossen had achieved them in, say, the German or Spanish league. However, it goes without saying that the Belgian league is not one of the strongest, and so questions must be asked as to whether the striker would be capable of making the step up.

Now, that isn’t to say Vossen would almost certainly be a flop were we to sign him. The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini are examples that made a successful transaction from Belgian to English football. Additionally, the Belgium international possesses attributes often required to thrive in the Premier League, with his strength in the air particularly appealing.

Signing Vossen could also give Cisse a much needed spring in his step, with new found competition for the no. 9 spot signalling an end to an almost guaranteed starting place every week. Such competition would be healthy and could mean wider variation in tactics and style in attack with the presence of Remy and Gouffran too.

For me, the rumoured asking price of £8.5m is too much, but I’d be interested to hear whether you disagree. Newcastle United still aren’t the finished article up front, but is this the man to fill the void?