Newcastle United have been searching far and wide for a striker amid Alexander Isak’s situation at the club.
Isak wants to leave, but that is not going to happen without a replacement arriving. Newcastle United cannot afford to leave themselves short in attack, as they prepare for their Champions League return.
The Magpies have attempted to replace Isak, but have fallen short. There were moves for Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro, but they all went elsewhere.
Newcastle are still looking for strikers, but their pool of options is limited. That is why Isak is likely to stay at Newcastle.
Journalist Julien Laurens has mentioned a new name that Eddie Howe has been looking at, but he is another forward who is unlikely to arrive at St James’ Park as Isak’s replacement.
Conrad Harder warms up ahead of playing for Sporting CP.
Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images
Newcastle United are fans of Conrad Harder
Speaking on the Transfer Talk podcast, Laurens stated that Sporting CP striker Conrad Harder is another player who Newcastle United like.
However, he is not close enough to being the finished article to be considered as Isak’s replacement.
“They’ve tried to find a replacement for him [Isak],” Laurens said.
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“Whether that is Wissa, Nicolas Jackson, Strand Larsen – some of the names that are on the shortlist.
“They like Conrad Harder at Sporting, but he is not as developed already compared to the others we mentioned already. Certainly no Premier League experience, unlike the other three.”
Harder is a Denmark international, while he also played alongside Will Osula at the European Under-21 Championship this summer.
The 20-year-old has been attracting a lot of attention since he swapped Nordsjælland for Sporting CP last summer, scoring 11 goals in his first season in Portugal. He appears to be a striker with a very bright future.
However, he is merely potential at this stage. Replacing Isak means replacing one of the best strikers in world football, so going in for a player like Harder would be a complete risk.
Why Ollie Watkins to Newcastle United is becoming more unlikely
Ollie Watkins is another player Newcastle have considered. He would be a great fit at St James’ Park, as he is a proven Premier League goalscorer with a great track record.
However, Laurens has explained why he is also unlikely to arrive on Tyneside to replace Isak.
“Watkins at some point was a possibility maybe,” he added.
“The closer you get to the end of the window, the harder it gets. If you are Aston Villa, you don’t want to let Ollie Watkins go on August 30th or 31st.
“The same with Wolves and Strand Larsen. Same with Brentford and Wissa.”
The problem that Laurens raises is something that Newcastle United will be very much alive to, and it is why the Isak situation is unlikely to be resolved in the way that the striker wants.
It is complicated by Newcastle already needing to buy a striker to replace Callum Wilson. That is before they can even contemplate securing an Isak replacement.
It has developed into a real mess, casting a dark cloud over what has actually been a very productive summer of transfers for Newcastle United.