The plot has thickened in the Newcastle United and Alexander Isak saga. The Swedish striker released a statement on Tuesday night, reaffirming his desire to leave the club, saying, “when promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue.” It is easy to see that he is still set on a move away from St James’ Park.
Of course, the Magpies will need to decide soon whether or not to sell their star striker. With less than two weeks left of the transfer window, any deal to leave the club will have to move quickly so Newcastle have time to sign a replacement.
They are constantly linked with new centre-forwards, and could make a move for someone in the coming days.
Newcastle’s striker target
The Magpies have been linked with numerous centre-forwards over the past few weeks and months. Wolves striker Jorgen Strand-Larsen and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa have been touted as two of the leading potential targets.
Yet, a clear option has seemingly emerged, with Football Insider reporting that Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos “is keen to make that move” to St James’ Park this summer.
The North East giants have “been watching him” in action for the Champions League winners, in case a move should materialise.
Indeed, the fact that the former Benfica star is so interested in the move is surely a huge positive for Eddie Howe. This is a deal that could happen in the coming months, “if it all adds up” for Newcastle.
Reports earlier in the window suggest PSG could ask for £56m to sanction a deal this summer.
Why Ramos would be a good signing
Despite limited opportunities for 24-year-old Ramos under Luis Enrique in the French capital, he impressed when he did break into the side. Described as a “future star” by Statman Dave, Ramos has certainly shown glimpses of just how deadly he can be.
Last season, the Portugal international, who scored a World Cup hat-trick in 2022, played 46 games and 1812 minutes, the equivalent of 20 full games. In that time, he managed to bag 19 goals and assist a further six.
His impact was felt in PSG’s first game of the 2025/26 campaign, too. Ramos scored a late equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup, one of just four touches he had in open play, showing how clinical he can be in front of goal.
Well, the word clinical could certainly be used to describe Isak. He was exceptional for Newcastle last season, finding the back of the net on 23 occasions in just 34 Premier League games, assisting six goals on top of that.
There was certainly a case to be made that he was the best centre-forward in the top flight last term, a sentiment Jamie Carragher seemed to share. Last December, he called him the “best striker in the Premier League right now”.
With the sheer number of goals that he scored, it is easy to see why.
If Ramos moves to St James’ Park, Howe would love him to turn into the second coming of Isak. Even in the way they each took the headed goals above, bursting past a defender late on to head home, you can see the instinct they possess in front of goal.
There are stats to suggest the players are very similar, too. For example, Ramos averaged 0.85 goals and 0.51 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes last season. In comparison, the Newcastle striker averaged 0.75 goals and 0.46 goal-creating actions each game.
|
Ramos & Isak compared |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Ramos |
Isak |
|
Goals |
0.85 |
0.75 |
|
Expected goals |
1.15xG |
0.66xG |
|
Goals per shot |
0.15 |
0.2 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
2.54 |
3.01 |
|
Goal-creating actions |
0.51 |
0.46 |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
Whilst £69m is a huge investment to make, especially so late in the window, Newcastle will need to replace Isak if he leaves. There is evidence to suggest that Ramos would be the perfect candidate to do that.
Given his goalscoring rate and some of the underlying statistics, he could be Newcastle’s dream Isak replacement. At the very least, signing a player who wants to represent the club is a huge pull for the Magpies.
