According to recent reports, Newcastle United are set to have the opportunity to sign their Premier League rival for £70m in 2026.
PL rivals pave way for Newcastle to sign £70m ace
The Magpies have a lot of unfinished business from the summer, having spent much of the period pursuing a replacement for Alexander Isak following a frustrating rejection.
Eventually they landed on Nick Waltemaid and Ioan Wissa. He scored his first goal for the club in midweek and was immediately compared to Isaac by manager Eddie Howe.Ioan is probably more closely related to Alex’s style, if not Alex himself.
“Yoan has his own strengths and I think his run at the back on Wednesday night in particular was great.”
Woltemaid had other successes besides his own goal in the Tyne Wear derby. The tall German has scored eight goals in all competitions so far this season and has proven to be worth every penny of his club-record £69m transfer fee.
But Newcastle and new sporting director Ross Wilson still have work to do. The Magpies have struggled for consistency this season and are clearly a team in need of quality depth.
As a result, those on Tyneside are reportedly eyeing the likes of Denzel Dumfries and Ruben Neves. With two experienced players at the peak of their powers, Newcastle will welcome the type of competition for positions that first teams often covet.
On the other hand, there is a possibility that they will welcome a new striker in 2026. According to Caught Offside, Chelsea have opened the door for Newcastle to sign Nicholas Jackson as they hope to put an end to their transfer flop once and for all.
Bayern Munich have not triggered their £56m buyout clause and Newcastle are reportedly among Jackson’s suitors, along with Everton, Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid.
Jackson could complete Newcastle’s front line
It would certainly be a gamble, especially if Chelsea wanted to match Bayern’s £70m option. But that’s something Newcastle could take next summer.
On paper, they would be signing a player who was turned away at Chelsea and then struggled at Bayern. But in reality, it wasn’t all bad for Jackson at Stamford Bridge. In his best season for the Senegalese national team, he scored 17 goals in all competitions, with six more to earn him the praise of Enzo Maresca.
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The Newcastle ace is fighting for his best performance this season.
The Chelsea manager told reporters in 2024: “He’s very important to us. He’s doing a great job on the ball, scoring, assisting, linking up with his teammates. He’s working hard off the ball, pressing the way we want him to. He’s doing a great job with us.”
Jackson’s name should already be well known to the PIF, as there were reports that they held contract negotiations with the 24-year-old last summer. The big question is whether negotiations can lead to concrete proposals.
Signing a new striker will never be Newcastle’s top priority, but the chance to complete their front line could be an irresistible opportunity next summer.
