‘Joel not a £40m blunder’
STEVE BRUCE insists Newcastle have no regrets spending £40million on their struggling front-man Joelinton.
The Brazilian has scored just one goal since arriving from Hoffenheim in a clubrecord deal this summer.
Bruce said: “He’s young, 22, and to be fair to him he’s in a new country, in the Premier League, and he’s the No.9. He’ll be fine.
“I’ve got no problem that he will be a very, very decent player.
“But we do have to get better service to him, and we’ve been a little bit hamstrung in terms of personnel to play with him. I’m sure he will get better.”
Toon boss Bruce reckons Newcastle are like the rest of the Premier League now in only spending big money on youngsters – who might then need time to settle.
He said: “I agree with it because it’s everybody’s policy. There’s not many want to spend big on a 29-year-old... Tottenham are the same, Manchester United are the same.”
Bruce added: “I still think six games is a bit early to judge him, but we have to try to get service to him.
“He’s still learning the trade a little bit. But it’s not as if he’s missed chance after chance after chance.
“He is a big, physical animal, isn’t he?
“He enjoys that side of it, so that’s not going to be a problem. He’s a target man, always has been.
“That’s his natural game: left foot and right foot, as a finisher – he is very decent when he gets in front of goal.”