He’s an Isak upgrade: Newcastle chasing “one of the best 9s in the world”
Newcastle United remain in a tough situation when it comes to their new striker next season. With Benjamin Sesko seemingly off to Manchester United, according to David Ornstein on Wednesday, the Magpies can rule themselves out of the race for yet another target.
Of course, Alexander Isak is still a Newcastle player. The striker has been embroiled in a transfer saga this summer, and was subject to a bid of £110m from Liverpool earlier in the window. Eddie Howe’s side rejected the offer, although Sky Sports say they are ‘braced for a second offer’ from the Premier League champions.
If Liverpool, or indeed another club, sign Isak this summer, it would leave Newcastle in need of a new striker. They have recently been linked with a couple of names.
Newcastle’s alternatives to Isak
A recent report from Give Me Sport has linked the Magpies with two players who they could turn to if Isak is to leave St James Park this summer. One of those is Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, and ‘there is confidence a deal can be done’ for the DR Congo international.
As well as a move for Wissa, the North East side could make a move for Aston Villa and England international striker Ollie Watkins. The Magpies are ‘plotting’ to bring the 29-year-old up North before the transfer window slams shut.
It is believed that Howe views Watkins, who has also played for Brentford, as a ‘perfect partner’ for Wissa, with the English manager looking at deploying two strikers more often.
As far as the price for the Torquay-born striker goes, Villa could ask for as much as £60m.
Why Watkins would be a good signing
There is no doubt that Newcastle would be signing a top-class striker if they were to bring Watkins to the club this summer. In fact, football statistician Statman Dave described him as “one of the best 9s in the world”, showing just how high his reputation is.
Indeed, the England international has a fantastic record in the Premier League. In five top-flight seasons, totalling 184 appearances, he’s already scored 75 goals and grabbed 36 assists. His best campaign came in the 2023/24 season, where he bagged 19 goals and assisted 15.
However, it is not just for the Villans that Watkins has put in some consistently terrific performances. In an England shirt, the 29-year-old has scored five goals in 18 games, with the most memorable one, of course, coming in the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands.
Replacing Isak is no easy thing to do, and if the Swedish striker does leave St James’ Park this summer, it will be Watkins’ job to do just that. The Newcastle number 14 was described as the “best striker in the Premier League right now” by Jamie Carragher last season.
He has an impressive record in the competition, with 54 goals and ten assists in just 84 games. Last term, he found the back of the net 23 times, the second consecutive year he has managed to his 20 or more goals in a single season.
However, one of the biggest downsides to Isak is his injury record. He has missed 39 games with six separate injuries during his stint at Newcastle so far. Compare that to Watkins, who has missed three in his entire career, and that is a huge upgrade.
On top of that, their underlying numbers via FBRef are not too dissimilar. For example, Watkins last season averaged 0.39 goals per shot on target and 0.42 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes. Comparatively, Isak averaged 0.46 goals per shot on target and 0.46 goal-creating actions each game.
| Watkins and Isak key stats compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat (per 90) | Watkins | Isak |
| Goals and assists | 0.83 | 0.95 |
| Goals per shot on target | 0.39 | 0.46 |
| Expected goals | 0.53xG | 0.66xG |
| Goal-creating actions | 0.42 | 0.46 |
| Ball recoveries | 1.49 | 1.8 |
| Stats from FBref | ||
There is certainly a case to be made that Watkins is an upgrade on Isak. His all-round play is excellent, as shown by the goal-creating action stats. On top of that, he is always available, unlike the Newcastle centre-forward, who has struggled with injuries.
Watkins is a consistent and high-level Premier League number nine who has the potential to maintain the number of goals Isak is involved in. For £60m, this could be a steal if they end up losing Isak.
