Murillo put Nottingham Forest ahead on Sunday afternoon, and most observers across the country probably concluded that the hosts’ remarkable start to the season would take its latest step toward extraordinary heights. Newcastle United’s chequered start was set to continue.
The stripes might run black and white but there was no patchiness for this team, who rallied and overturned the deficit to win 3-1 and carry their resurgence into the November international break.
Eddie Howe hasn’t had it easy, with injuries taking centre stage last year and frustration reigning throughout the summer transfer window, but things are starting to come together, with Alexander Isak at the spearhead.
For now, at least. The Swedish striker is contracted to St. James’ Park until 2028, but appears non-committal toward signing a new lucrative package, as is the wish of his employers.
Arsenal are lurking, with other high-profile suitors sure to follow. If the unthinkable happens, and Isak moves away from Tyneside in 2025, it’s crucial that a fitting replacement is found.
Luckily, Magpies sporting director Paul Mitchell is busy mapping out the perfect successors at number nine.
1 Viktor Gyokeres
First up we have Viktor Gyokeres, who might just be the most coveted centre-forward in Europe at the moment. The Sporting Lisbon sensation has enjoyed a taste of English football already, failing at Brighton & Hove Albion before succeeding at Coventry City in the Championship and earning himself a nice big £20m transfer to Portugal.
1.
Viktor Gyokeres
Sporting Lisbon
11
16
2.
Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona
13
14
3.
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
11
12
4.
Harry Kane
Bayern Munich
10
11
4=
Omar Marmoush
Frankfurt
10
11
4=
Mateo Regeui
Atalanta
12
11
Now, his career has taken off and then some. Every top-drawer side worth their salt wants to take him on, not least because some pretty exciting rumours are skirting about that the Swede could be
It would be 4D chess, but given that Isak and Gyokeres play together for their country, there’s a possibility that St. James’ Park’s praises have been sung.
Ruben Amorim has just left his seat as Leaoes manager to have a go at Manchester United, and rumours that his number nine might follow have predictably followed like a hungry dog.
But Newcastle have shown an interest. As per GIVEMESPORT, the 25-year-old is firmly on the Toon’s wishlist, and if Isak is to be sold – for a handsome figure, of course – this could be a brilliant move that would see Howe’s side make a profit.
Wow. Just imagine.
2 Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Admittedly, we’ve returned to a more pragmatic platform here. However, there’s reasoning behind Newcastle’s interest in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with GIVEMESPORT also revealing that the Everton striker is on United’s radar.
The England international, crucially, is out of contract at the end of the season and appears to have put his injury troubles behind him, featuring and starting each of Newcastle’s 11 top-flight fixtures this term.
The caveat, of course, is that he’s not really scoring very much, with just two goals this year. Even so, Newcastle lodged a £40m proposal Goodison Park’s way during the dog days of summer, albeit retracting it after concerns festered.
This might be a shrewd train of thought, but not one of the vim and vigour that the Magpies would require to replace Isak. On to the next.
3 Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen rose to fame with Napoli, but that one ended in heartache and he’s now out on loan with Galatasaray until the end of the 2024/25 season after a move to Chelsea fell through.
It’s quite easy to forget that he’s one of the finest strikers in the world, described as a “monster” by analyst Raj Chohan. But he’s a player who could wind up in black and white nonetheless, with affluent Newcastle believed to be among the clubs set to be offered the chance to sign the athletic striker next year, report The Chronicle.
His release clause stands at £113m, though it’s been suggested that Napoli would accept a bid of around €50m (£43m) next summer, swallowing the bitter pill of lost riches after he didn’t complete a permanent transfer away this year.
Newcastle would only be too happy to oblige. Osimhen has scored 56 goals since the start of the 2022/23 season – Isak, by comparison, has 40 goals in that timeframe.
Osimhen is the gold standard, but a similar version, still capable of making his mark under Howe’s wing, would be…
4 Jonathan David
Jonathan David. It’s a name Newcastle know well. Just after the summer market slammed its shutters closed, Newcastle were reported to be in the driving seat to sign the LOSC Lille centre-forward, albeit with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also in the mix.
Routinely linked with a move away from his French outfit, the Canadian sharpshooter is like Calvert-Lewin in that he’s playing out the final term of his contract. Howe could do worse, to be sure.
2024/25
19
13
3
0.84
2023/24
47
26
9
0.74
2022/23
40
26
4
0.75
2021/22
48
19
0
0.40
2020/21
48
13
5
0.37
David, aged 24, has posted 13 goals and three assists across all competitions this season and invariably puts up eye-catching hauls. What’s more, his sharp ball-striking ability and technical crispness have seen him compared to Isak by FBref.
That takes us to the last candidate. You know him well…
5 Ivan Toney
Could Ivan Toney be the man to replace Isak at Newcastle in 2025, nine seasons after last featuring for the Tyneside club? It would be an interesting one, to say the least.
The 28-year-old completed a £40m transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli in August after failing to find a move materialise within the Premier League.
He’s “a special player”, according to Brentford manager Thomas Frank, who has fostered Toney’s skills to the fore over the past several years.
Sure, he’s only just settled into Saudi Arabian football, but the 28-year-old may well be tempted back to the thrill of the Premier League if a team like Newcastle offered him a starring spot in their system.
Newcastle have considered a move for the hulking forward earlier in 2024. If the stars align, this could be a thrilling deal for a player with a point to prove in black and white stripes.
Best CF since Shearer: Newcastle looking at signing "monster" Isak upgrade
Isak might be leaving Newcastle in 2025, and Howe is looking to sign a “monster” upgrade.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 14, 2024