Newcastle have missed out on Benjamin Sesko. Here are the strikers they should target instead

New York Times

2 days ago

Newcastle United's summer has been a disappointing exercise for all involved but there is still time to salvage it.
The Athletic reported on Thursday that Benjamin Sesko is set to join Manchester United, marking another target missed for Eddie Howe's side this transfer window. A new striker remains on the agenda even if Alexander Isak stays amid interest from Liverpool.
Most clubs have already bolstered their front lines this summer, with Viktor Gyokeres, Liam Delap and Victor Osimhen making big-money moves. But there are still three weeks left before September's transfer deadline, so The Athletic looked at five strikers Newcastle could sign.
As an early note, the list below does not include Brentford's Yoane Wissa, who Newcastle have followed for some time now. Regardless of Isak's future, Wissa is a necessary addition to add versatility to a front line that was already thin and has lost Callum Wilson this summer. If Isak leaves, the hunt for Wissa would be separate from any other striker coming in.
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Wissa has developed excellent penalty-box instincts at Brentford, scoring 19 league goals last season with an expected goals (xG) per shot figure of 0.21, which only trails Erling Haaland. His greatest attribute is his out-of-possession work. Wissa is excellent at leading the press and is a relentless runner in the final third, dragging defenders out of position and opening up pockets of space for his creative team-mates to excel.
The first name worth considering is Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea. His sprints in behind are his main weapon. As his SkillCorner off-the-ball runs chart below shows, the 24-year-old thrives when playing on the last defender's shoulder (a rating of 83 out of 99 for 'Runs in behind'). He also gets into ideal positions to meet cutbacks in the box, even if his finishing and shooting technique require more refinement.
Jackson would provide Newcastle with options. If played alongside Isak, his work out of possession would benefit the Sweden international, as Jackson keeps defenders on their toes with his movement. If Isak is to depart, Jackson has shown at Chelsea that he can handle the pressure of leading the line for a top-four challenger, though his finishing can be frustrating.
If Newcastle's brief is for efficiency in front of goal, look no further than Jorgen Strand Larsen. Wolves sealed the 25-year-old on a permanent deal from Celta Vigo this summer after impressing on loan last season.
Strand Larsen is an old-fashioned No 9 who is not actively involved in build-up play but simply attacks the box and finds the back of the net. He scored 14 league goals last season from just 54 shots, 61 per cent of which were on target. Only two of his shots were from outside the penalty box — and incidentally, both ended in goals (below).
Strand Larsen's towering frame (193cm/6ft 4in) means he can fit into a direct style too, while his long strides make him a threat on the break. Given the talent Newcastle have out wide in Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon, and Harvey Barnes, the Norway international would flourish on Tyneside.
Standing at the same height is Samu Aghehowa, who racked up 27 goals in 45 matches for Porto last season, including eight in 12 games across the Europa League and Club World Cup.
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Aghehowa offers more runs in behind, aerial prowess and physicality than Strand Larsen, and the 21-year-old's link-up play improved throughout the season. Those goals came in different forms, too — unstoppable strikes inside the box, smart headers from open play and set pieces, and composed finishing from counter-attacks.
Below in the 2-0 league win against Casa Pia, Aghehowa plays a simple one-two to get in behind on the counter before finishing the move off with a clinical strike. The goal is a microcosm of his best qualities.
And for this goal in the 3-3 draw against Manchester United in the Europa League, he shows great box instincts to meet the cross ahead of Matthijs de Ligt by stooping mid-jump and directing a strong header into the net.
Aghehowa's shooting can be wayward — only 37 per cent of his efforts were on target in the Primeira Liga last season — but his skill set should translate well to the Premier League, which is becoming increasingly chaotic.
In France, Goncalo Ramos is another interesting candidate Newcastle should turn to.
Ramos was a €65million (£56m; $76m at current rates) — plus €15m in add-ons — acquisition for Paris Saint-Germain after an excellent 2022-23 season for club and country. But with Ousmane Dembele fitting better into Luis Enrique's tactical demands at centre-forward, he was limited to just 18 starts across all competitions in 2024-25.
Ramos still scored 19 goals, averaging a goal every 95 minutes. The 24-year-old, while prone to the occasional casual or overconfident shot, is a skilled finisher and his shots averaged an xG figure of 0.22 in Ligue 1 last season, suggesting his penalty-box instincts are intact.
He excels at delaying his runs to nip in front of defenders at the very last second to meet cutbacks, with a bunch of his goals being headers or first-time finishes with either foot from balls into the box.
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Ramos is not heavily involved in link-up play, preferring to play straightforward short passes while dropping deep, but he has great close control. In the example below, he hauls down a lofted pass from goalkeeper Arnau Tenas and holds off two defenders before unleashing a shot to complete his hat-trick in a 4-1 win against Montpellier.
Ramos is energetic out of possession, constantly looking to force mistakes from defenders, which should add an extra edge to Newcastle's pressing structure.
PSG team-mate Randal Kolo Muani rounds out this list.
Kolo Muani spent the second half of last season with Juventus, scoring 10 goals in 22 matches. He broke through at Eintracht Frankfurt, contributing 23 goals and 17 assists in 46 games in the 2022-23 campaign.
Kolo Muani is fantastic in transition thanks to his close control at speed and willingness to operate across the attacking third, no matter what his nominal position is. While not a typical target man, the 26-year-old positions himself well to meet cutbacks and at 187cm, he regularly leaps above defenders to attack crosses too.
Kolo Muani's best football has come when he has played with confidence, which is tough to develop without regular game time. PSG, who paid €95million to sign him from Eintracht in the summer of 2023, started him just 23 times in one and a half years.
A change of scenario helped him this year, with Kolo Muani scoring five times in his first three games for Juventus. One of those goals against Como displayed the threat he brings with his runs into the wide channels. Kolo Muani drifts over to the right and is slipped in by Nicolas Gonzalez. The France international carries the ball into the box, taking multiple touches with either foot to get past a defender, before scoring with a powerful strike from a narrow angle.
Another goal against Lazio in May saw him move more like an archetypal centre-forward. Lazio defender Alessio Romagnoli initially looks over his shoulder to monitor the situation as the move develops on the left. Kolo Muani initially feigns a run to the front of Romagnoli, which sees the centre-back take a step forward. Before Romagnoli can realise and react, Kolo Muani sprints behind him to meet Weston McKennie's cross.
Kolo Muani has seen his career stall in recent years, and he has not proved his mettle against well-set defences that do not give him freedom to operate. But he is a skilled and versatile operator who, when confident, can score regularly.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
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