Former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino has spoken very highly about Newcastle United loanee Salomon Rondon, after a string of impressive performances for the North East club.

The 29-year-old has been influential for the Magpies since his loan switch from West Bromwich Albion in the summer, with his strike against AFC Bournemouth at the weekend took his tally up to 10 goals this season.

Rondon signed for Newcastle on a swap deal, which saw Dwight Gayle go the other way

Speaking about Rondon in his latest Times column, Cascarino labelled the Venezuelan as the best Premier league signing of the season, stating that the powerful forward could be worth around "£50million" in the future.

He wrote: "If he keeps playing like this, he could be a £50 million striker. There hasn’t been a better signing this season, but he is only on loan at Newcastle.

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"If they can make it permanent, they should, because he can be a Champions League player."

There have been reports in the Northern Echo claiming that Newcastle may have to pay around £16million for the striker in the summer should they wish to acquire his services on a permanent basis, therefore West Brom are certainly in the driving seat in this case.

The Baggies currently sit fourth in the Sky Bet Championship table, seven points off the automatic promotion places with the appointment of a new manager on the horizon.

The Verdict

It's a very bold claim from Cascarino, and I would partly agree with him too.

He has been a tremendous signing for Rafa Benitez' men, and has proven that he can still score goals in the Premier League after a turbulent couple of years.

I wouldn't say he could be worth around £50million at his current age, but he will still be worth a lot of money if the Magpies wish to sign him.

Thoughts? Let us know!