In their search for a striker, Newcastle United are returning to a drawing board that is starting to look more like a crime scene than a strategic masterplan.
They can now add Benjamin Sesko to a list of attacking rejections that already includes Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Bryan Mbeumo and Hugo Ekitike.
And what does this mean for want-away Alexander Isak? We can reveal he will NOT play in this weekend’s Sela Cup fixtures against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid.
However, he won’t be joining Liverpool until Newcastle have signed the strikers to replace him and Callum Wilson, who left on a free transfer in June. I am told there are two shortlists at play here – one as replacement for Isak, one for Wilson – but it could be that two names from one list end up as their primary targets.
Either way, the club’s recruitment team are working hard, as they have done all summer, even if the optics of Newcastle’s business have not been good.
Here, we bring you the very latest on the strikers who are being discussed inside St James’ Park, and try to answer the question: where do Newcastle United go from here?
Alexander Isak is finally back in Newcastle training – but separate from the main group while Eddie Howe and the club decide their next move
Benjamin Sesko is the latest Newcastle target to turn them down and move elsewhere
Yoane Wissa (Brentford)
We broke the story of Newcastle’s interest in Wissa in early July, and all of my information tells me this deal WILL happen.
It is dependent on Brentford finding a replacement first, and one name mentioned to me in recent hours is that of Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara. Should the Bees make progress there (or with any attacking target), expect immediate movement on Wissa to Newcastle. This major development has those involved on red alert.
The 28-year-old wants to sign and has communicated as much to those on Tyneside, which is why they have been patient. A player who is desperate to join is a rare commodity for the Magpies this summer.
Wissa scored 19 Premier League goals last season, without taking any penalties, and rarely misses games. Eddie Howe and others are extremely sweet on him and there is a belief he could hit the ground running.
I’m hearing that a package of around £35million should be enough to secure a deal, although Brentford are likely to push for more.
There will come a tipping point where PIF refuse to go any higher for a player who turns 29 in September, but there remains confidence that Wissa will be a Newcastle player this season.
Wissa wants to sign and has communicated as much to those on Tyneside
Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig)
Ever since last week in South Korea, I have reported that Newcastle believed Manchester United was the Slovenian’s preferred destination.
Why? Club staff know when a player wants to join. Like with Anthony Elanga, you are convinced of their intentions from the moment you to speak to them. With Sesko, Newcastle never had that confidence.
On Monday, they were given encouragement that he wanted to sign. And so, with Manchester United yet to make an offer, they pushed hard to finalise terms with Leipzig.
What happened? Manchester United made an offer the following day, as was always suspected would be the case. Sesko is now set to move to Old Trafford and Newcastle must pick up the pieces of another bruising rejection.
You cannot blame them for following through with their pursuit, given the chance of Man United not being able to come to the table. And Sesko would have joined, it is just that his first choice belatedly presented their package. From that moment, Newcastle knew they were missing out.
Newcastle never got a confident feeling from Sesko that he wanted to join them over Manchester United
Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolves)
The Norwegian was described to me as a ‘dark horse’ target when we revealed his presence on the Newcastle shortlist last week. And nothing I have heard since has discouraged me from writing about their interest.
In fact, Newcastle really like Larsen. They have heard good things about his character and 14 goals in his debut Premier League season, in a struggling side, has not gone unnoticed. The reports on him are all positive.
As it stands, Newcastle have not made an approach, but I would not rule this out. Talk of Wolves wanting £65m for the 25-year-old would perhaps be prohibitive, but I understand he is higher up the shortlist than many others.
Larsen’s move to Wolves from Celta Vigo was only made permanent this summer for £23m, but there is word that a deal could still be done.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s move to Wolves from Celta Vigo was only made permanent this summer for £23m, but there is word that a deal could still be done
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Howe, his staff and others at the club like him. In fact, they like him a lot. There is respect for a player who has worked his way through the Football League, and Howe believes those types have a special ingredient.
Watkins is also very well known to many in the Newcastle squad because of their England connections, and to a man they return positive reports. I’ve been around Watkins with England, too, and I can vouch for that. He is a brilliant character. Throw in 75 Premier League goals in five seasons and you understand the appeal.
So, what are the negatives? Firstly, availability and price. Newcastle do not know if Aston Villa would sell this summer, even though there is word in the game that a deal can be done.
Villa have agreed a move for Nice striker Evann Guessand (who Newcastle have watched) and that could encourage an offer for Watkins. Would the asking price be too high? He would certainly cost more than Wissa.
But here is the overriding reason why Newcastle and Watkins may not happen – age. He turns 30 in December and the owners will not sanction the arrival of two players in that bracket. So, if Wissa does happen, a move for Watkins is unlikely. If Wissa’s move collapses, don’t be surprised to see an offer lodged for the Villa man.
Would Howe and others take Wissa and Watkins as a pair? I think they would, given the guarantee of Premier League goals. Also, they are both still in their 20s. Newcastle would get a good few years out of them, and it would buy the club time to find that Isak-type replacement.
Watch this space, as they say, but the owners want to see at least one younger striker brought in.
Ollie Watkins is also very well known to many inside the Newcastle squad because of their England connections, and to a man they return positive reports
Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham)
This has gone quiet in the past week, but there were informal conversations involving intermediaries late last month, during which a £40m fee and wages of £125,000 per week were mooted.
Now all of that would be subject to negotiation – Fulham have already rejected a £32m offer from Leeds – but the Brazilian is on the shortlist and Newcastle see a player with scope for development.
I’m hearing that some among the hierarchy are keen on the profile of Muniz, especially as he only turned 24 in May. He would be a player with sell-on value, if subject to the same improvement that most experience under Howe and his coaching staff.
One to watch, and I’m told some inside Newcastle think Muniz could represent very good value, but I don’t think he’s at the top of the list for now. Like I said, it’s gone a bit quiet.
Newcastle have held preliminary talks with Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, but it has gone quiet now
Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
An £80m asking price has been actively circulated by Chelsea. But here is our information… they will deal at £60m with Newcastle. There is a relationship between Newcastle and Chelsea via Saudi connections, and informal talks have taken place over the striker’s availability and situation.
On the back of that, he is on Newcastle’s shortlist, and I’m hearing that some among the hierarchy are keen, given his Premier League experience and age (24 in June). However, I’m told that others will be pursued first.
Don’t forget, Jackson is suspended for the first game of the season, after being sent off at Newcastle in May for landing his elbow in the face of Sven Botman. Incidents like that raise doubt among the football staff, given their desire for good characters.
The Senegalese is not thought to be a bad character per se, but he is more of a gamble in that regard compared to Wissa, Larsen and some others.
Don’t rule this out, but a move for Jackson would only come if other options do not happen. There is a player to work with, for sure, and a negotiated price at closer to £60m could make sense, but I haven’t really picked up strong vibes on this one during the past couple of weeks, including my time in the Far East.
Newcastle don’t want to sign players for the sake of it – it has to be the right player at the right price.
Nicolas Jackson is an option, but Chelsea are adamant they will only accept more than Manchester United paid for Sesko and Liverpool paid for Hugo Ekitike
Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
Yes, there is an increasingly strong chance that Newcastle kick off the season with Gordon as their central striker. This would not be the case going forward but, for now, it appears the most likely scenario in the short term.
In four Premier League matches without Isak last season, however, Newcastle did not win any of them. That is not on Gordon, he did well deputising in the role, but he is not a striker.
For now, though, Howe has to find a way to win games with Gordon in that position, because he is a better option that Will Osula, the young Dane who needs a lot of work.
Of Gordon, Howe told Daily Mail Sport in Korea: ‘He is one of the options and we wanted to look at him in that position against Tottenham (on Sunday). He has played there before for us and played it well.
‘He will play in his way, he is not Alex or Callum Wilson, he is slightly looser than both. He does not want to be a focal point, back-to-goal player, he is not at his best doing that.
‘We have given him a bit of freedom and he did really well in that floating role, he could have had a couple of goals and we are really pleased with him.’
Anthony Gordon can fill in up front, and will likely be forced to do so at the start of the season
Goncalo Ramos (PSG)
An update for you here – I’m told this is very unlikely now. Ramos was floated last week and there is a feeling Paris Saint-Germain will sell the Portuguese this summer, but it is not a deal Newcastle are interested in, for the time being.
Ramos, 24, is admired as a player and he makes sense on some level as that big-ticket Isak replacement, but Newcastle’s search is focused on other areas as we approach the weekend.
Goncalo Ramos, who has a World Cup hat-trick to his name for Portugal, has scored 33 goals in 86 games for Paris Saint-Germain but is surplus to requirements in the French capital
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (unattached)
Howe is a long-time admirer and believes he could work with the former Everton forward, but he is not high on the shortlist.
He may be, much later in the window, but before then we should expect others to be targeted.
At 28 and on a free transfer there is an argument to be made, but he has scored too few goals and missed too many games in recent seasons.
Newcastle are aiming higher right now – as they should be.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has long been admired by Howe but his recent record is not reliable enough for a Champions League club
Lois Openda (RB Leipzig)
Newcastle are aware of Sesko’s Leipzig team-mate and, by watching the Slovenian, they have built up sound knowledge of the Belgian.
He has a seriously impressive goal record in Germany, firing 41 in 89 games in all competitions.
However, his name has not featured prominently in any conversation I have had of late.
Newcastle built a picture of prolific forward Lois Openda (right) when they were scouting Sesko at Leipzig
Alexander Isak (Newcastle… or Liverpool)
And finally… will it be Isak after all who leads the line for Newcastle this season? There is a chance, and with each passing day its likelihood increases, if only marginally.
Isak wants to join Liverpool and, clearly, Newcastle want to sign his replacement first. There is an acceptance among some on the inside that this, in the circumstances, is the best way forward for the club.
Howe is not allowing Isak to train with the team and he is very unlikely to feature in this weekend’s friendly fixtures at St James’ Park. He would not want to play even if invited to, you suspect.
But, for him to be sold, two things still need to happen, as I have stressed for two weeks now – Liverpool need to make an acceptable offer and Newcastle need to have his replacement(s) on the way.
The chances of Isak staying increase (by a small amount) every day that a deal with Liverpool is not done – but I’d still expect him to go
Let’s say one of those things fails to happen, then Newcastle and Isak would have no choice but to find a way to enter the new season together. That will not be easy given all that has happened, but we should not rule it out.
Do I think that will be the case? No, I still believe, with all the information and exposure to this I have had, that Isak will join Liverpool this summer for a British-record fee approaching £150m.
But before that can happen, at least two of the names from the list above (or any list!) have to find their way into St James’ Park.
It’s seldom dull in these parts…
