The Toon have encountered some turbulence as the transfer period commenced, yet their focus on acquiring a pair of highly-rated attacking players might shift their summer strategies towards a more promising outlook.
The primary story at St James’ Park revolves around their star forward, Alexander Isak, whose potential departure seems imminent. He was absent from Eddie Howe’s pre-season training camp, amidst speculation that he is considering alternative options, shortly after reports of Liverpool expressing interest in securing his services.
This situation has compounded their previous attempts to secure James Trafford, Hugo Ekitike, and Bryan Mbeumo, among others, all of which culminated in disappointment.
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Thus far, the sole established player Howe has successfully recruited is Anthony Elanga, formerly of Nottingham Forest, in a transfer valued at £55m.
However, this situation might soon change, as the Magpies are actively strategizing how to allocate the funds potentially generated from Isak’s departure.
According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle’s priority is the acquisition of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. Additionally, the north-east club is reportedly considering Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, believing that the two signings could mutually benefit the team.
The same source indicates that Liverpool is preparing an offer of up to £150m, with the expectation that this sum will facilitate the acquisition of both players, with Jackson’s estimated value being around £60m.
Jackson’s future at Chelsea is uncertain following the west London club’s acquisition of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, both of whom were previously targets for Newcastle.
Sesko remains the primary objective, but Porto’s Samu Aghehowa is also being considered as an additional striker, contingent on the same report, should securing Jackson prove overly challenging.
From FourFourTwo’s perspective, while acquiring two strikers of Sesko and Jackson’s caliber would typically be celebrated, as a replacement for Isak, it seems that no acquisition will quite measure up.
There is no sugarcoating the reality that Newcastle is poised to bid farewell to one of the premier strikers globally, a level of player they haven’t boasted since the era of Alan Shearer.
Despite the optimism surrounding Sesko, any replacement will invariably feel like a step down from Isak. It will require an extraordinary turn of events to improve the atmosphere at St James’ Park following the challenges they have faced this summer.
Sesko is valued at €70m, according to Transfermarkt, while Jackson’s valuation stands at €50m.
