Joelinton is on the verge of signing for Newcastle United in a club record deal.
ChronicleLive first reported United's interest back in January, but now that the club appears set to secure his signature, what would he bring to St James Park?
Firstly, it's worth noting that Rondon was incredibly important to Newcastle last season, as the way in which the team played was entirely centred around his physicality and capability when required to operate as an isolated targetman.
Rondon is 6ft 2ins tall, fairly mobile, aggressive and strong, and those traits permitted Newcastle to essentially sit behind the ball and remain compact, with the assurance that once they look to move forward, Rondon would be able to bide time and then involve his team-mates.
Benitez has now departed, but his rumoured replacement is Steve Bruce, a manager who largely holds the same cautious and relatively defensive principles. As a result, it's reasonable to suggest that the style of football will remain primarily similar.
Consequently, Newcastle require a striker who holds a vaguely similar profile to Rondon, as he will likely have to cope in isolation and with little offensive support for the most part.
Joelinton may be that player, albeit with a slightly different game. He's 6ft 1ins tall which is good, but he weighs considerable less than Rondon, and his frame is more slight.
He's used to leading the line without support less so in Germany than Rondon last season, but nevertheless, he's demonstrated abilities that are useful in such situations. Rondon opts to hold the ball by using his body as a shield, but Joelinton tends to approach things differently.
Instead, he dribbles and uses his technical quality to escape pressure, as shown below, rather than simply positioning his body between the ball and his opponent. Last season, Joelinton averaged five dribble attempts per 90 minutes, compared to Rondon's 2.35.
It's also worth noting that the Brazilian is just 22 years-old, and is considerable more versatile than the 29 year-old Rondon. Last season, Joelinton played on the left and the right flank, as well as behind a striker and as a striker himself, as captured by his heatmap below.
Adding such a profile would essentially make Newcastle more flexible than before, with solutions within the squad that can alter during matches depending on the scenario.
Joelinton's goal return last season was 11 in 2802 minutes, which isn't particularly unique, but it's roughly the same as Rondon's 12 goals in 2809 minutes. The Brazilian striker also provided five assists compared to Rondon's seven, but when delving deeper into the realms of Expected Assists (xA), the suggestion is that the latter should have actually posted just 4, whereas Joelinton's figure was justified and as projected.
Ultimately, the prospect of Joelinton's arrival is interesting. He's not a targetman in the form of Rondon, and although he's physically imposing, he has an alternate game, with an added emphasis on technical play over physical duels. However, his game may be close enough to be vaguely translatable, meaning that he may be able to cope with the football that will likely be played at St. James' Park next season.
Joelinton as a player is a solid investment, but the overriding question should be whether he's compatible enough to thrive under the new manager's style of play. If he's productive, then he'll showcase himself as a much more sustainable signing than Rondon long-term, but if he doesn't, then Newcastle's entire attack may break down as a result of the reliance upon his shoulders.
