Newcastle are in talks to sign £60m Premier League “monster”

There is one story that has been dominating the Newcastle United headlines throughout the summer transfer window, and it is showing no signs of stopping.

Will Alexander Isak remain at St. James’ Park or is he going to complete a British record transfer to Premier League champions Liverpool before September’s deadline?

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed that Newcastle turned down an offer from Liverpool on Friday, and that the Sweden international did not accept the club’s proposal to sign a new contract with a release clause that activates next summer.

Daily Mail’s Craig Hope then added that the offer from the Reds was worth around £110m, which fell well short of the club’s valuation of £150m.

As you can see in the post above, Eddie Howe is leaving the situation down to the people above him at the club, but he would like to see Isak back in his squad.

Why selling Alexander Isak would be a big blow for Newcastle

It does not take a genius to work out that the Swedish centre-forward is an incredibly important player for the English head coach heading into the 2025/26 campaign.

Only Mohamed Salah (29) scored more goals than Isak (23) in the Premier League last season, as the Newcastle man outscored Erling Haaland (22), Cole Palmer (15), Ollie Watkins (16), and Bryan Mbeumo (20), among others.

This shows that the former Borussia Dortmund marksman is one of the best goalscorers in the top-flight, and potentially the best number nine in the division, given that Salah is a right-sided attacker.

Isak also scored 21 goals in 30 Premier League matches in the 2023/24 campaign for the Magpies, which shows that his form last season was not just a flash in the pan. He is a consistent performer who has proven that he can score goals in the league at an exceptional rate.

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old sensation is not just a prolific goalscorer, he is also excellent for the Magpies in their build-up play with his ability as a dribbler and as a creator.

Isak is the total package as a Premier League number nine, hence why Newcastle want a British record fee of £150m from Liverpool to tempt them into cashing in on him.

This is why losing him would be such a big blow for Howe and his team this summer, although it would provide them with funds to bring in new additions.

Newcastle in talks to sign Premier League forward

According to The Boot Room, Newcastle United are eyeing up a number of potential forward signings to ease the possible blow of losing Isak before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Magpies are in talks to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but they would also like another striker alongside the Slovenia international.

It states that the Premier League side are also in talks over a possible deal to sign Senegal international Nicolas Jackson from rivals Chelsea.

Newcastle are pursuing a deal to bring the Blues number nine over to Tyneside in the coming weeks, and he is viewed as an option to come in alongside Sesko, not instead of him, should Isak depart.

Jackson reportedly has a £60m price tag over his head at Stamford Bridge, though it remains to be seen whether or not the Magpies are willing to pay that to snap him up this summer.

Why Nicolas Jackson could be an underrated signing for Newcastle

Supporters may look at the Chelsea striker and see that he scored ten goals from 12.34 xG in the Premier League last season, and be underwhelmed by this potential signing.

The 24-year-old marksman could be an underrated signing for the Magpies, though, because he has the potential to be an Isak clone at St. James’ Park, as outlandish as that may seem right now.

As per FBref, Isak is the most similar player, statistically, to Jackson in the Men’s Top 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.

As you can see in the chart above, they are similar in a lot of ways, particularly at getting into high-quality goalscoring positions and creating chances for their teammates.

Like Newcastle’s £150m-rated superstar, Jackson is a well-rounded centre-forward who offers quality in build-up as a dribbler and a creative presence, but he has yet to show the brutal efficiency that Isak has in front of goal as a finisher.

As you can see in the table above, the Chelsea forward ranks highly among his positional peers in the division at creating chances, beating opposition players with dribbles, and getting touches in the box.

Jackson, who was described as a “monster” of a striker by John Obi Mikel, has a similar play style to Isak, as they are both strikers who want to get involved in the game beyond just scoring goals.

But, of course, the Newcastle man is significantly better at scoring goals at this moment in time, as evidenced by his return of 13 more league goals than Jackson last term.

If Howe can work with the Senegalese forward to improve his finishing and his composure in front of goal, the Magpies could end up with an incredibly underrated signing by bringing the Chelsea man in as a potential Isak clone due to his all-round game and what he offers as a striker.

Whilst Newcastle and their supporters will not want to lose Isak to Liverpool in the coming weeks, signing Sesko and Jackson as a pair could soften the blow somewhat.