Abdulhafiz TeslimNewcastle United’s decision to part company with one of their major attacking investments has already sparked plenty of debate, with opinion in Italy now divided over whether the Magpies made the right call.
The player in question arrived at St James’ Park with enormous expectations after Newcastle reportedly committed around €100 million (£86.5m) to secure his services. However, his time on Tyneside failed to develop in the way either the club or the player would have hoped.
Just one year later, the German forward has moved on to Juventus, leaving plenty of questions about what went wrong during his spell in England.
And now, a prominent Italian journalist has delivered a remarkably blunt assessment of the transfer.
Sky Sport journalist Massimo Marianella admitted that he has never been particularly convinced by the player, making his feelings clear while discussing the move to Turin.
Marianella questioned whether the attacker has ever truly established his best position. During his career in Germany, he was used in several different roles, including as a winger, attacking midfielder and central forward.
That versatility can be useful, but according to the Italian commentator, it may also have worked against him.
At Newcastle, the uncertainty appeared to continue. Rather than being given a clearly defined role where he could consistently influence matches, he was frequently asked to operate in different positions.
The result was a disappointing spell in black and white, eventually convincing Newcastle that moving him on was the best solution.
However, Marianella’s criticism has not been universally accepted.
Another Italian journalist, Stefano Borghi, offered a much more positive assessment of the transfer and described Juventus’ deadline-day acquisition as a potentially excellent piece of business.
Borghi believes the player’s Newcastle struggles should not simply be blamed on a lack of ability. Instead, he pointed towards the tactical demands placed on him during his time in England, particularly his frequent deployment away from his preferred central areas.
That could prove crucial at Juventus.
The Turin club appears ready to give him a much clearer responsibility, with Luciano Spalletti expected to use him as a genuine attacking threat rather than constantly moving him around the pitch.
There is also an obvious physical advantage. Standing at 1.98m, the forward possesses the height and aerial ability to cause serious problems if he is allowed to attack the penalty area at the right moment.
For Newcastle, however, the debate is now largely academic.
The club have moved on, while their former signing has been handed another opportunity to prove his critics wrong in Italy.
If he succeeds at Juventus, questions will inevitably return to Newcastle over whether they gave up on him too quickly.
If he struggles again, those who doubted the transfer from the beginning will feel thoroughly vindicated.
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Abdulhafiz Teslim
