Newcastle United have been put through the wringer this summer, having missed out on key attacking targets in Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro and now Hugo Ekitike.
However, context is important, and in the latter’s case, Liverpool have moved ahead with a bumper deal after Eddie Howe and co stood firm on their stance that Alexander Isak is not for sale.
Ekitike, valued at €100m (£85m), has handed in a transfer request at Eintracht Frankfurt as he edges closer to Anfield. Thus, Newcastle have turned their attention to Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.
However, the Magpies may be foiled once again with that one.
Newcastle lining up Ekitike alternatives
On Friday afternoon, Manchester United finally achieved a breakthrough in their long pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo, with a £71m fee agreed between the Premier League clubs.
This transfer may run counter to Newcastle’s ambitions regarding Wissa, for the Bees have already lost Thomas Frank and their captain Christian Norgaard, and thus will be loath to part with their central striker too.
Thus, Newcastle need – once again – an alternative.
Well, according to Sport BILD, Howe has lined up Napoli’s Victor Osimhen as an ambitious alternative, with the free-scoring marksman said to be one of the players who is on the Magpies’ ‘radar’.
While the £64m-rated Osimhen is the centre of talks between Napoli and Galatasaray, with whom he spent the 2024/25 season on loan, the allure of the Premier League could work in the Toon’s favour.
Why Newcastle want Victor Osimhen
Osimhen is one of the most feared and famous centre-forwards currently competing in Europe. The end of an unhappy marriage with Napoli led to his loan move to Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig, but who can say he hasn’t made good use of the cards dealt?
The prolific star’s meaty haul does suggest that he’s got every bit the clinical nature of Isak, with Statman Dave even commenting that he’s “the best striker on the market” right now.
With Isak’s long-term future a debatable thing, there’s a chance that Osimhen could prove to be not just a fitting replacement but an incredible upgrade. Indeed, his goalscoring consistency can be viewed across a number of years and a number of countries.
24/25 – Galatasaray
41
37
8
23/24 – Napoli
32
17
4
22/23 – Napoli
39
31
5
21/22 – Napoli
32
18
6
20/21 – Napoli
30
10
3
A title winner who is more than just a goalscoring focal point, Osimhen could be the perfect man to add another layer to this incredible Newcastle side.
Isak, a world-class striker, scored 27 goals across 42 matches last season. Osimhen, meanwhile, bagged 37 times over 41 games. Though the Nigerian competed in a division of inferior quality to the Premier League, he scored six goals across seven matches in the Europa League, including a brace in a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Moreover, Isak’s six Champions League outings in 2023/24 yielded just the one goal, and no assists either. Conversely, Osimhen’s prolificness in the European theatre is underscored further by his record of nine goals and an assist across 17 Champions League fixtures.
And Osimhen could even emulate his positional peer in regard to movement and intelligence. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 4% of strikers across Europe last season for shot-creating actions and the top 18% for progressive carries per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Ultimately, Newcastle have scored a winner by keeping hold of Isak, and in Osimhen, they could land a new number nine to challenge him for that first-choice spot, certainly proving an upgrade on the young Ekitike.
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