So James Trafford has gone to Man City and Alexander Isak wants out.
By my reckoning, the Trafford miss now makes it zero from five ‘top targets’ this summer after Delap, Mbeumo, Pedro and Ekitike also ended up elsewhere.
So, where do Newcastle go next? Goodness only knows, but we need strikers. Not just a Callum Wilson replacement, but more than likely a top goalscorer to replace the AWOL Isak, also.
Yoane Wissa may sign from Brentford if he eventually gets his way, while Benjamin Sesko and Nicolas Jackson have been linked all week, but I’m going to offer up some alternative strikers that I think we should look at from overseas.
An alternative younger option, who could provide competition for the present and promise for the future, could be Porto striker Samu Aghehowa.
The Spanish forward moved from Atlético Madrid to Portugal last summer for €32m, and bagged 19 goals in 30 matches in Liga Portugal. At just 21 years of age, he has plenty of time to improve. Right now he is something of a raw talent.
However, Aghehowa could prove to be a wise investment for the Magpies, and his pure power and physicality could offer different qualities to Isak’s elegance.
Another striker who could be available this summer is PSG’s Gonçalo Ramos.
The Portuguese no.9 fell out of favour last season under Luis Enrique, with the Spaniard preferring to play winger Ousmane Dembélé as a ‘false nine’. Ramos started just 12 games for PSG in Ligue 1 last term, but still managed 10 goals, and has undoubted quality.
He’s a very good finisher, is a player we bid for during his Benfica days and could add Champions League experience to Eddie’s frontline.
Benfica’s Greek no.9 Vangelis Pavlidis could also be an option to explore for Newcastle this summer.
The 26-year-old scored 19 league goals last season, as well as seven in 12 games in the Champions League. He is strong in the air and something of a traditional striker, much like the man he could replace in Callum Wilson.
He could be seen as the ideal man to aid Isak in certain game-states, whilst also offering something different to the Magpies squad.
My final suggestion is former Arsenal academy forward Mika Biereth, who enjoyed a superb 2024/25 campaign.
After bagging goals in Austria to help Sturm Graz eventually win the title, the now 22-year-old joined Ligue 1 side Monaco last January and continued where he left off. Following his move to the south of France, Biereth scored 13 goals in 19 games.
He would most likely welcome a return to English football at some point in his career and would likely be happy to play second fiddle to Isak. A potential frugal alternative for Newcastle to look at.
The first paragraph seem misleading, it’s no 0 from 5 it’s 1 from 6 – Elanga was a top target for us and we secured that deal.
That’s not to say we’ve done well, so far we only have Elanga and Ramsdale coming in.
But if we can get a RCB, a CM (squad player) and 2 CF that’s got to be called a decent window.
Wissa looks a good option and if Liverpool do poach Isak hopefully we can sort out Sesko as well. In that case Sesko and Wissa as your strikers looks better than Isak and Wilson as we had last year particularly when you think the injury records.
Johnny Mac(Quote)
Some good potential options. Plenty of time to get away from all the doom and gloom
Andrew Braid(Quote)
Unfortunately, Biereth just signed a new deal until 2030 with Monaco. He was outstanding for them in the second half of last term after joining from Sturm Graz. If he has another highly productive season, he could be a hot commodity next summer.
Neil(Quote)
Samu Agehowa, Aston Villa are making a move so forget that one.
Joseph(Quote)
Pretty sure this article was on transfermrkt. Same list, some of the same exact words….
Johnny is right, elanga was a top target, we bid for him last year and tried in Jan – both before mbeumo. Him being top target was paper talk. Don’t think it’s right to include delap either, most of the PL spoke to him as he was half price – he wouldn’t have been above others without the clause
Not saying strikers haven’t been v tough but again there’s a pile on re any negative angle
East stand(Quote)