Newcastle United are set to miss out on another transfer target as Benjamin Sesko looks bound for Manchester United. Both Premier League sides had submitted bids to RB Leipzig, but it now looks apparent that the Slovenia international’s desired destination is Manchester.
This is the latest in a number of failed transfer sagas for the Magpies after numerous other players opted for moves to other clubs, with Sesko reportedly agreeing personal terms at Old Trafford as the Red Devils close in on a deal.
The biggest positive for Eddie Howe’s side this window has been the arrival of Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest. The Swedish winger arrived in July, and since then, it’s been clear that Howe wants more attackers to join him.
As well as Ekitike, Liverpool have also attempted to bring Newcastle’s own Alexander Isak to Merseyside after offering a figure just shy of £120 million. While Newcastle rebuffed the first bid, the potential for Isak to agitate for a move has only made their need to sign a striker stronger.
Newcastle United enter talks for Chelsea star
Despite their disappointments in the transfer market so far this summer, Newcastle have added a new target to their striker shortlist with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson. Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Jackson was featured on their striking shortlist alongside Sesko, and that the interest has progressed to the point where the two clubs have entered “club-to-club talks”.
Jackson has played against Newcastle five times, making them his joint-highest faced opposition. During those five appearances, fans have witnessed the good and the bad that Jackson can bring to the club, as he has scored against the Magpies twice but also received a straight red card towards the end of last season.
In the same post, Jacobs mentioned that Brentford’s Yoane Wissa is still a target and that the player is actively pushing to get the deal done.
Jackson may be the easier of the two deals to complete however, as Chelsea have a number of forward players at the club and view the Senegalese striker as surplus to requirements, whereas Brentford have been stripped of a number of their management team and star players this summer, so they may be more reluctant to let another player go.
Jackson is within Newcastle’s budget
Since it looks likely that their bid for Sesko will be unsuccessful, it is reasonable to assume that the £70 million plus add-ons they were willing to spend is now available for other transfers.
|
Strikers Newcastle have missed out on |
New Club |
|---|---|
|
Liam Delap |
Chelsea |
|
Hugo Ekitike |
Liverpool |
|
Joao Pedro |
Chelsea |
|
Bryan Mbeumo |
Man Utd |
|
Benjamin Sesko* |
Man Utd* |
In July, Sky Sports reported that Chelsea wanted between £80 – £100 million for Jackson following Ekitike’s move to Liverpool and a belief from the Chelsea board that Jackson was the better player and thus should command a higher fee. That price tag appears to have dropped significantly, with the i stating that Chelsea’s new evaluation of Jackson is around £65 million.
Even if the Sesko bid was all that was left of their budget, which is very unlikely considering the low number of incoming players that Newcastle have currently signed this summer, they would be able to match Chelsea’s newest evaluation for Jackson.
