Dion Beljo's comments on Newcastle as Toon scouts watch £20m striker
Dion Drena Beljo has previously spoken of his admiration for Newcastle United, revealing that the film Goal! helped spark his interest in the club as a youngster.
Four years on, the Dinamo Zagreb striker is reportedly being monitored by our recruitment team, with Mark Douglas confirming last week that Newcastle have been scouting the 24-year-old.
With Matthias Jaissle seemingly keen to add another striker in January, some old comments from Beljo make for interesting reading.
Beljo’s Newcastle comments worth revisiting
In a 2022 interview with Sky Germany, Beljo discussed his admiration for English football and explained why Newcastle had become a club he followed.
He was full of praise for the Premier League, describing it as the best competition in the world.
“I wouldn’t mind winning the Premier League either. I watch almost every game in England. The best players in the world play there.
"The Premier League is the best league in the world. Of course, there are Bayern, Paris and Real in the other leagues. But in England, there are so many teams with a lot of quality.”
Beljo also explained that a virtual football management game with his friends gave him another reason to keep up with English football, before revealing the surprise club he had a particular affection for.
“The football there is very intense, but mainly I watch the games because I play a virtual manager game with my friends. So, I have to keep an eye on everything there. I really enjoy that. Most recently, Manchester United were my favourite team because of Cristiano Ronaldo, but there is another team that will surely surprise you…Newcastle United.”
The reason behind that Newcastle connection was particularly interesting, with Beljo referencing the 2005 film Goal! and its fictional story of Santiago Muñez fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional footballer at St James’ Park.
“When I was a kid, I watched the film ‘Goal!’ and the player in that film fulfilled his dream of a professional career at Newcastle. I think Newcastle will be even better in real life because of their financial power and their incredible fans.”
Those comments came long before the current links, but they are certainly worth revisiting now that our scouts appear to be keeping a close eye on his progress.
Beljo was previously linked with Newcastle through Croatian media, who claimed our recruitment team watched him score in Dinamo’s Europa League victory over Sunderland. The iPaper's Mark Douglas then added further weight to the links by confirming that we have been scouting the striker, who is thought to be available for £20m.
Beljo a risk worth taking in January?
There are certainly reasons why Beljo could appeal to Newcastle.
His goalscoring record in Croatia has been impressive, with 18 goals and six assists in 19 appearances this season following an equally prolific previous campaign. At 24, he also fits the age profile we should be targeting, while a reported price tag of around £20m would represent a relatively affordable investment by Premier League standards.
Beljo offers a sizeable physical presence at 6ft 5in, potentially giving Jaissle the sort of focal point we have been missing. We need a striker who can occupy defenders, provide a presence in the penalty area, bring others into play and consistently find the net. However, there are obvious risks.
Beljo has limited experience outside European leagues, and his excellent numbers in Croatia do not guarantee that he can reproduce the same form in the Premier League. The step up in intensity, physicality and quality of opposition would be considerable.
That is particularly important given some of the recruitment risks we have taken with our summer signings under Ross Wilson. We need January additions to improve the first team, not simply add more players who might take time to adapt, like much of our summer signings.
Beljo ticks plenty of boxes in terms of age, potential, physical profile and reported price, but he would still represent a gamble.
With Jaissle seemingly keen to bring in another forward, our previous interest and Beljo’s admiration for Newcastle add an interesting extra dimension to this story. Whether we decide he is the right player to lead our attack is another question, but he is certainly one to watch ahead of January.
