Why Newcastle should take a closer look at the ‘Dutch Peter Crouch’
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Holland has provided its fair share of hits and misses over the years with the arrival of a Ruud van Nistelrooy usually tempered by duds like Mateja Kezman, Afonso Alves and Ricky van Wolfswinkel among many, many others.
Newcastle United have emerged as the latest team looking for an Eredivisie bargain with Heerenveen’s Mark Uth thought to be on the club’s radar – but they may be looking at the wrong Holland-based hotshot.
Standing tall at a whopping 6ft5in and in possession of a broad though not overly-bulky frame, Michiel Kramer is like nothing we have even seen in the Premier League before.
While the likes of Nikola Zigic and Peter Crouch set the benchmark for beanpole strikers in the English top-flight, Kramer appears to have broken the mould.
Capable of playing as either a target man or in a supporting striker role, the 26-year-old’s speed and agility with the ball beguiles his appearance and, best of all, it’s starting to translate into goals by the bucketful.
Currently on the books at ADO Den Haag in The Hague, Kramer arrived at the club in June 2013 on a free transfer from Volendam in the Eeerste Divisie or Dutch second-tier.
He had just completed a remarkable campaign with the club during which he managed 22 league goals in 32 appearances.
Kramer took some time to adjust to the demands of the top-flight in Holland though, managing just seven goals during a debut season in which he was used mostly as a substitute.
But after earning a starting berth at Den Haag this term, the gravity-defying target man has rarely looked back with 11 goals to his name already.
A run of eight goals in eight games was a particular highlight while Kramer has netted against the likes of Ajax, AZ and Vitesse.
Valued at just £880,000 on Transfermarkt, while it may take a slightly more substantial bid from Newcastle to convince Den Haag to part with their prized asset, it could prove an inexpensive gamble worth taking on a player with the kind of presence Newcastle could require.
A move for Kramer could also mean that, next time they face Stoke, it’s their very own version of Crouch who spoils the opposition party.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
