Newcastle United’s high-profile pursuit of Benjamin Sesko seems to have taken a hit with Manchester United in pole position to sign the Slovenian international.
The race to sign Sesko has been the pick of the transfer news in the last week as Eddie Howe and the club prepare for the possibility that star striker Alexander Isak departs for Liverpool, as is his desire. And now there is more deja vu for all Newcastle fans this summer as one of the big boys in the Premier League have come in to usurp a transfer and are attempting to steal the striker from under the Magpies’ nose.
Newcastle were pushing hard for the young Bundesliga forward but it has been reported that he would rather go to Manchester United than Newcastle, even though the Tyneside club have met the required fee to take the player out of RB Leipzig.
So, as Howe and the team prepare to dust themselves off to go again in their sluggish search to get a goalscorer over the line after missing out on Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, to name a few, and now almost certainly Benjamin Sesko - unless there’s a change of heart in the next few hours - who are the alternative strikers that would be fitting replacements for a striker as high-profile as Isak?
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Goncalo Ramos (PSG)
The Portuguese forward is well-known across Europe and would be a similarly priced deal to Sesko. Goncalo Ramos has found himself struggling for game time as the expensively assembled young PSG squad conquered Europe last season with their fluid and interchangeable forward line.
Ramos is a more traditional frontman who can lead the attack and, even in reduced minutes, scored 18 goals last season. With Sesko, Newcastle were not buying for his goalscoring record in recent times, after he netted only 13 times in the German league last season. It feels as though Ramos has been around for years, but at 24 years old, the club would be buying for the years ahead as well.
During his time at Benfica, Ramos was highly rated after scoring 28 goals in the 2022/23 season and he moved to the French capital for a fee totalling €80m after his season-long loan was made permanent.
Reports coming out of Portugal recently suggest PSG boss Luis Enrique does not want to let go of Ramos but a big offer could tempt their hand. According to O Jogo, a deal could be done for around €60-80m, which Newcastle have already shown they would be willing to pay up for Sesko
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Ollie Watkins has been linked with a transfer to Man Utd.placeholder image
Ollie Watkins has been linked with a transfer to Man Utd. | Getty Images
A cheaper and maybe less inspiring signing would be England striker Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa. The now 29-year-old has been linked to Arsenal and Manchester United in recent times but with each of those sides not making a move for him, he could be tempted with a move to the North East to play Champions League football.
One of the main factors why Watkins would not get the Toon faithful off their feet is because of familiarity. Everyone has seen him play for years and fans have had time to see the flaws to his game but he is a Premier League-proven goalscorer, and in the last two seasons, he has notched 56 goals and assists in the league alone.
His numbers can’t be argued with, but on the other hand, his age is a worry. With Newcastle’s other striker options, age was on their side and if the club want to spend £40m+ on Watkins, you might only get two or three seasons of him replicating close to his best form with no resale value.
After suffering rejections one after another and the league season less than two weeks away, Howe could do worse than bringing in the dynamic forward, who has intelligent movement in the channels, and has shown he can find the net against Premier League defences.
Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
Nicolas Jackson would be a polarising pick to lead Newcastle’s attack, as he also has the negative factor of familiarity in the Premier League. Toon fans have seen a lot more of him than a Sesko and they have seen him make fluff his lines on numerous occasions.
However, he has a lot of positives to his game. The 24-year-old can lead the line well with his searing pace, which can force defenders into mistakes, and he has done well to make the Chelsea attack tick in recent times. Since he signed, he has 15 goals and five assists in his first season and 10 goals and five assists in his second season.
The Senegal international is out of favour at the London club but he would be a good pick-up for anyone this window, and at only 24, he has plenty more to show for himself. If Howe could get him firing, his numbers could increase to make him a 20-goal Premier League forward in no time.
The options after Sesko might take some getting used to but spending that much money on the Slovenian forward and banking on his potential is a huge risk. Howe and the club could do a lot worse than these three alternatives and could look back on this humbling summer more fondly in a few months.
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