Newcastle signed 29-year-old Visa for £55 million; no appearances since joining due to cruciate ligament injury and Africa Cup involvement.

Newcastle faced repeated setbacks this summer in securing strikers, getting outbid multiple times. Ultimately, the Magpies signed two forwards, Waltmad and Visa. Waltmad has netted goals in three straight Premier League home matches, but Visa has not played yet. A number of supporters believe the £55 million spent on Visa could end up being wasted.

It is reported that Visa sustained his injury during the September international break while representing the Democratic Republic of Congo in World Cup qualifiers. The injury involves the posterior cruciate ligament, with recovery times ranging from several weeks to nine months if surgery is needed. Fortunately, Visa does not require surgery and is expected to make his Magpies debut on November 9 against his former club Brentford. However, just a month later, the Africa Cup begins on December 21, which may cause him to miss about a month.

In my opinion, it’s rare for African players over 30 to maintain high efficiency. Last season, Visa scored 19 goals and provided 4 assists in 35 Premier League games, showing great form. But after joining Newcastle, he got injured. Meanwhile, the other new signing, 23-year-old Waltmad, has firmly secured the starting striker role. Visa’s best option would be to skip this year’s Africa Cup; otherwise, he risks becoming a fringe player at Newcastle with limited playing time this season.