Newcastle United’s summer business has so far been defined more by frustration than fulfilment.
Despite a flurry of early talks and promising leads, the club has seen a number of potential deals fall through, including the pursuits of Bryan Mbeumo, João Pedro and Hugo Ekitike.
With pre-season now well underway, and Alexander Isak having withdrawn from the club’s tour of Singapore and South Korea, Newcastle’s recruitment team finds itself under increasing pressure to deliver.
The club’s reluctance to sell Isak remains firm.
While interest from Liverpool is expected, particularly in light of Luis Díaz’s £65.5m move to Bayern, Newcastle have no intention of entertaining offers unless a suitable replacement is found.
Internal sources continue to stress that there is a realistic scenario in which Isak stays, returns to training, and features in the opening weeks of the Premier League season.
Newcastle's Wissa and Sesko alternative
Contingency planning are now in full swing. Benjamin Šeško remains on the radar, and talks are active.
However, club insiders have suggested that another name has quietly moved to the top of the shortlist.
According to The i Paper, Newcastle have made initial contact over a move for the Chelsea and Senegal forward, Nicolas Jackson.
Jackson is seen as a stylistic alternative to Yoane Wissa, who had emerged as the club’s preferred replacement for Callum Wilson before complications arose.
Wissa, who has spent the last four seasons with Brentford, is currently refusing to train in an attempt to push through a move.
Brentford, though, are holding firm on their £50m valuation – justifiable, perhaps, given Wissa’s level of output last season.
Only Mohamed Salah scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League, and Wissa finished the campaign with 20 goals and four assists across 3,072 minutes of football.
How Jackson compares to Wissa and Isak
However, Brentford’s stance has led Newcastle to explore different options. That search has led to Jackson, a player Chelsea value at £80m.
Newcastle would be prepared to pay closer to £65m, according to the i, roughly the same amount as Hugo Ekitike before Liverpool hijacked the deal.
Jackson’s season at Chelsea has drawn mixed reviews, but those close to the player, like former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel, see enormous potential.
“It’s amazing to see that Nicolas Jackson is taking what I say on board and improving. People were telling me I’ve created a monster of a striker and that’s exactly what I want.”
Well, using data via FBref, Jackson stands out as one of the closest statistical matches in Europe to both Isak and Wissa.
The trio share a remarkably similar output when it comes to progressive attacking actions, shooting efficiency and off-ball contributions.
Alexander Isak
29 (23 goals, 6 assists)
Yoane Wissa
23 (19 goals, 4 assists)
Nicolas Jackson
15 (10 goals, 5 assists)
Last season, Jackson averaged more shots on target per 90 (1.38) than both Wissa (1.27) and Isak (1.34), and his shot-on-target rate (44.7%) placed him between the pair.
He also contributed 2.80 shot-creating actions per 90, slightly below Isak (3.01) but ahead of Wissa (2.13), while posting a solid pass completion rate of 75.9%.
In terms of ball progression, Jackson registered 1.90 progressive carries per 90, again narrowly beating Wissa (1.85) but trailing Isak (2.71).
The one area where he clearly lags is in build-up play: his progressive passing distance was just 35.8 yards per 90, compared to Wissa’s 49.9 and Isak’s 53.7.
Still only 23, he has the tools, and time, to grow into a more complete forward. In contrast to Wissa who turns 29 in September, well outside Newcastle’s preferred recruitment age profile of 24 and under.
Wissa will likely miss a significant stretch of the 2025–26 season due to AFCON. Discipline, however, remains a question mark.
Jackson picked up two high-profile red cards last season, once against Newcastle and once at the Club World Cup against Flamengo, both the result of needless petulance.
It’s a habit that would need to be ironed out under Howe’s structured and emotionally balanced setup.
What makes Jackson such a compelling fit though, is his physical profile. Like Isak, he’s quick across the turf, capable of stretching defensive lines and linking midfield with sharp, short touches. Like Wissa, he thrives on chaos, creating danger through movement and improvisation more than structured playmaking.
There are clear echoes of what Newcastle had hoped to gain from Wissa, and what they currently risk losing in Isak.
Jackson, in many ways, offers a synthesis of both: the explosiveness, unpredictability and penalty-box threat of Wissa, fused with Isak’s finesse and movement.
For a club that is beginning to gear up its squad for both the present and future, without the cushion of Champions League income, the Blues attacker could represent not just a stopgap, but a long-term pillar.
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