Newcastle have been given the chance to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, according to reports.
The Magpies have tabled a bid, along with Manchester United, for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, and the Slovenian is their top target.
However, talkSPORT claim that Jackson has been “offered” to Eddie Howe’s side, along with United and AC Milan.
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Chelsea are hoping to get as much as £80m for the Senegalese international, who has spent the last two years at Stamford Bridge.
Why is Jackson being offered out to clubs?
The 24-year-old has spent two seasons as Chelsea’s first-choice striker but the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro have pushed him down the pecking order.
Disciplinary problems have also had an impact on his status, with head coach Enzo Maresca seemingly losing patience after Jackson was sent off against Flamengo at the Club World Cup. Following his return from suspension, the forward was only used as a substitute and he did not start the final against Paris Saint-Germain last month.
Newcastle have set their sights on other forwards
At the moment, the Magpies don’t appear to hold any interest in Jackson, even if they fail to land Sesko. The main alternatives to the Slovenian international are believed to be Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and PSG’s Goncalo Ramos.
Watkins has a better track record in the Premier League and would be cheaper, with Aston Villa said to be willing to offload the 29-year-old for between £50m and £60m.
Ramos is also not a key player for PSG and it’s unlikely that the European champions would hold out for as much as Chelsea want for Jackson.
Of course, circumstances do change, and if Chelsea do lower their demands later in the transfer window, Newcastle may revisit the opportunity.
In other news, Newcastle have been told to make a surprise move for a Liverpool striker if Isak leaves