Newcastle United need to sign two strikers this summer, but getting both Nicolas Jackson and Yoane Wissa could be a risk.
It is imperative that one striker arrives at St James’ Park, as Callum Wilson has still not been replaced. A second striker could be just as vital, with Alexander Isak wanting to leave the club.
Newcastle United are in a challenging position, but they could be about to receive a boost in their pursuit of a striker.
With Brentford moving for Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara, that could open the door for Wissa to join Newcastle. The 28-year-old is eager to join Eddie Howe’s side, but a move has been on hold for weeks.
That situation could soon change, and a deal for Wissa should have a knock-on effect on Newcastle United’s other striker plans.
Yoane Wissa celebrates scoring a goal for Brentford against Nottingham Forest.
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
AFCON means Newcastle United cannot sign Nicolas Jackson and Yoane Wissa
If Wissa joins Newcastle, it will be to replace Wilson. That will be his role at St James’ Park, and it is a role he feels perfectly suited to.
But Eddie Howe will still be looking for a marquee striker that can take the place of wantaway forward Isak.
Newcastle want Nicolas Jackson, but a deal for him should be out of the question if Wissa signs on the dotted line.
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That is because both players would miss a large portion of the season due to the Africa Cup of Nations. Jackson will be representing Senegal, while Wissa is a DR Congo international.
The 2025 AFCON runs between 21st December and 18th January. During that period, Newcastle United have six games scheduled in all competitions. There is also currently a fixture pencilled in for 20th December, with the Magpies due to face Chelsea.
Newcastle United would be able to cope with losing one striker during the AFCON, but losing both of their strikers would be a recipe for disaster. That is why interest in Jackson should be put to the side if the Wissa deal gets done.
Ollie Watkins would be a better buy for Newcastle United
While Jackson is a talented player who has the potential to improve under Howe, it simply is not feasible to have him and Wissa unavailable for either six or seven games during winter.
Instead, the Magpies would be better off moving for Ollie Watkins instead of Jackson.
The Aston Villa forward is a lot older at 29, but has availability on his side. That will be a big factor for the Newcastle United manager, who always stresses that availability is a player’s strongest ability.
Watkins would also arrive as a much more reliable goalscorer. He has got 75 goals in 184 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, with a tally of 19 in 2023/24 his best-ever top flight season.
However, the problem is that Aston Villa do not want to sell Watkins. That could potentially force Newcastle United to look elsewhere, not for the first time this summer.