Former Newcastle and Manchester United striker, Andy Cole, has some warning for Newcastle boss, Rafael Benitez.

This comes after Benitez failed to secure numerous transfer targets during a frustrating summer window.

Cole believes Newcastle don’t have a striker to carry on the club’s No. 9 shirt.

Despite signing Spanish forward Joselu from Stoke City for £5 million, who scored in Newcastle’s first Premier League victory in a 3-0 win over West Ham, Benitez is still left short with options up front.

And Cole, a former Newcastle No.9, is concerned that no-one in the current Newcastle front-three – Joselu, Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic – is worthy of wearing his old shirt.

“It’s going to be a mightily tough season for Newcastle. Goals win matches and you need to be picking up three points to avoid a relegation battle,” said Cole to The Chronicle.

“That being the case who is going to get the goals for Rafa? The manager, a sound judge of footballers, was prepared to sell both Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic if he could find replacements, and Joselu is a £5m buy which is peanuts in the big league.

“A club that puts so much store on the number nine legend hasn’t got a regular goalscorer at this level. It’s a heavy shirt to wear and I don’t know who can do it.”

The number 9 shirt was also worn by the likes of Tyneside legends Les Ferdinand, Alan Shearer, Andy Carroll and Senegal's Teranga Lion - Papiss Cisse.

Source: http://news.bounce.ng/Content/andy-cole-warns-rafael-benitez-20170905