Chelsea in Newcastle United transfer claim amid Alexander Isak uncertainty, with £31.5 million ‘bid made’

Chelsea are looking forward to the new season after a successful Club World Cup campaign. The Blues defeated Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain to win the trophy in the United States.

The 3-0 win in America followed their Europa Conference League success, their first major trophy since BlueCo’s purchase in 2022. Chelsea’s transfer activity has been rather quiet recently, with seven new players joining the squad and the American competition having concluded.

Arsenal’s purchase of Noni Madueke has sparked a rise in exit updates. Below are some of the most recent headlines on the Blues, along with my thoughts on each.

Jackson’s interest

Newcastle United are reportedly looking to recruit Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson as a possible replacement for Alexander Isak.

The story comes amid speculation about Isak’s future at St James’ Park after he was left off of the club’s pre-season tour. The striker is thought to be looking for possibilities outside of Newcastle this summer.

According to TalkSPORT, if Isak leaves Newcastle, the club is considering Chelsea’s Jackson as a potential replacement. Manchester United are also reportedly interested in the Senegalese forward.

According to football.london’s Isaac Seelochan, Jackson would be a significant step down from Isak. The Magpies would be crazy to replace their star player with him, unless he is used as a backup to someone like Benjamin Sesko.

Fofana ‘offer’

Everton reportedly made a surprise €36 million (£31.5 million) approach for Chelsea-linked Malick Fofana.

According to French source L’Equipe, the Toffees might reach an agreement with Lyon ‘very fast’. Everton and Lyon are reportedly in club-to-club negotiations, with David Moyes’ side also negotiating personal terms with Fofana ahead of a prospective move.

Fofana has been a shining light for Lyon since he joined from Gent in January 2024. Last season, he made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and assisting six times.

The 20-year-old also had a huge influence on Lyon’s Europa League campaign and might be one of many players leaving the club this summer owing to financial troubles.

According to Isaac Seelochan of football.london, Fofana is a competent player but may not be a substantial upgrade over Chelsea’s current roster. With Pedro and Gittens on board, Chelsea will most likely not require another winger.

Newcastle United could make a £60 million hijack to Manchester United

Those nasty murmurs eventually became reality, when Mail Sport’s Craig Hope revealed that Isak was interested in ‘exploring other alternatives’ away from the North East, with Liverpool, despite spending nearly £300 million on new players, the favourites to return to the table.

Why does Alexander Isak want to quit Newcastle United?

Isak is without a doubt one of the top finishers in world football, and he is by far Newcastle United’s most skilled striker since Alan Shearer retired in 2006.

Isak has scored 62 goals in 109 appearances for the North East club since joining from Real Sociedad for £63 million in 2022, and in three years has been a catalyst for the club’s Champions League qualification twice and League Cup victory, ending a 70-year wait for domestic silverware.

He is currently under contract with Newcastle until 2028, but despite being one of the club’s best earners, he reckons his on-field performances are now worth £250,000 to £300,000. He doesn’t make that much money at Newcastle, and he knows the other best attackers in the Premier League do.

Talks over extending Isak’s contract began when Newcastle co-owner Amanda Stavely decided to sell her interests in the summer of 2024, but were ultimately deferred due to PSR concerns at the time. This is said to have upset Isak at the time, but Eddie Howe has since been able to defuse the situation.

Finally, Newcastle’s failure to provide Isak with what he wants in terms of earnings has unsettled him, and he also has a strong desire to win major honours – he may see a move as his best chance of doing so, after seeing his side miss out on many key targets such as Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike, among others.

As things stand, Newcastle is seeking for a resolution. It remains to be seen if this will be done by offering Isak a contract extension with a possible release clause to please both sides, or by assuring the striker of the club’s goal to continue expanding towards an elite club. If Newcastle decides to sell Isak, they are expected to demand at least £150 million, although it is unclear whether any team will be able to invest that much money.

While it is far from certain that Alexander Isak will leave Newcastle at this time, it is fair to say that the club has began exploring prospective replacements for the 25-year-old if he does depart. According to BBC Sport, one of those is believed to be RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko.

Manchester United have been heavily linked with the 22-year-old Slovenian international throughout the summer, but have yet to make an official bid as they seek to avoid violating any PSR regulations. The Red Devils are virtually in a sell-to-buy situation after failing to qualify for Europe and dropping to their lowest league position since 1974.

While things may appear bleak for the Toon right now, Newcastle are in a much better situation in terms of PSR after failing to make a single major deal in the summer of 2024 and cashing in on youngsters like as Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh.

The Magpies have Champions League football on the horizon, are still on a high from domestic success, and have demonstrated a desire to sign players despite a number of unsuccessful offers earlier in the summer.

Would Benjamin Sesko make an excellent Alexander Isak replacement?

Benjamin Sesko has 39 goals and eight assists in 87 outings since joining RB Leipzig. This implies he presently has a goal ratio of approximately 0.44 per game, which is lower than Alexander Isak’s current tally of 0.56 in a Newcastle United shirt.

However, Sesko was the same age as Isak when he moved to Newcastle. And at £60 million, he is worth roughly what the Magpies paid to sign Isak from Real Sociedad. As a result, it may be more fair to compare Isak’s record at Real Sociedad, where he scored 44 goals in 132 games, or 0.33 goals per game. This indicates that Sesko is currently scoring more goals for Leipzig than Isak was prior to his departure to St. James’ Park.

Sesko, unlike Isak before joining Newcastle, had already participated in the Champions League, scoring six goals in 28 games for Leipzig. He has amazing pace, an excellent eye for goal, tremendous strength, and, like Isak, stands 6ft 4in, making him an intimidating figure for opposing defenders.

Yussuf Poulsen, who spent 12 seasons with Leipzig until leaving earlier this month, stated, “As a striker, he’s the best I’ve played with,” according to the Manchester Evening News. “If you examine at his ability, he possesses everything a top number nine requires.

“He’s still young, and he needs to learn more about the finesse part of being a striker, rather than the technical aspects. He has it all: strength, shooting technique, and everything. I enjoy working with him and am trying to get him there – he’ll go on to score a lot of goals for us and eventually go to the club he’d like to play for.”

Finally, it’s unclear whether Sesko can reach the heights that Isak has at Newcastle, but he does have many of the Swede’s characteristics, making him a valuable addition this summer.

It would also be a welcome change for Newcastle fans to see the club hijack a deal from a Premier League opponent, with James Trafford becoming the latest target to join another top-tier English team as he nears a transfer to Manchester City. Bryan Mbeumo, Mathias Cunha, Liam Delap, and Joao Pedro have all chosen to join other Premier League clubs over the Magpies, so it’s time they finally beat one of their rivals to a huge signing.