Newcastle will wait for a resolution to Alexander Isak’s future before deciding whether to move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, the PA news agency understands.
Isak is currently not training with Eddie Howe’s squad after a £110million bid from Liverpool was rejected and he is not expected to feature in Saturday’s Premier League opener against Aston Villa.
The club missed out on signing striker Benjamin Sesko, who joined Manchester United on Saturday from RB Leipzig, but after Chelsea told Jackson on Friday that they are willing to sell it has opened up a possible solution to the impasse.
The 24-year-old, who scored 10 Premier League goals last season but endured a run of one league goal in five months between December and May, trained alone on Friday and was left out of the squad for the friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen.
He has been pushed down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge following the signings of Liam Delap from Ipswich and Joao Pedro from Brighton, with a feeling that his progress at the club has stalled.
His relationship with supporters has been complex since joining from Villarreal in 2023, with a general appreciation for his willingness and occasional flashes of excellence offset by inconsistency and a questionable temperament.
PA also understands Blues forward Christopher Nkunku is wanted by his former club Leipzig, who are keen for the 27-year-old to be included in any deal for Xavi Simons.
Chelsea have been in talks for the Netherlands international this summer without an agreement being reached, but the Bundesliga side’s willingness to take back Nkunku – whose time at Stamford Bridge has been badly disrupted by injury and has seen him score just six Premier League goals – could lay the foundations of a deal.
Simons can play either as an attacking midfielder or on the wing and is a potentially more flexible attacking option than Nkunku.
Head coach Enzo Maresca said on Friday that the club are in the market for a central defender after Levi Colwill underwent surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The typical recovery time for an ACL injury is six to nine months, meaning the England international is likely to miss most of the season.
Chelsea have already signed 19-year-old centre-back Jorrel Hato from Ajax but a more experienced stand-in for Colwill is wanted.
