Life After Isak? 5 Forwards Newcastle Should Target Next

Alexander Isak's Newcastle United departure is looking increasingly imminent. The Swedish star has made his desire to leave Tyneside clear, and Liverpool are prepared to offer a British transfer record-breaking bid. Football’s fast-paced nature means that the Toon will be moving quickly to secure a replacement for the prolific forward, who has netted 44 Premier League goals in the last two campaigns. Against this backdrop, Football Park has compiled a list of five strikers who could be the perfect match for Eddie Howe’s side, focusing on realistic options who look up to the task.

Georges Mikautadze

The Georgian striker who made a name for himself last summer at the Euros scored 11 Ligue 1 goals for Lyon in 13 starts. The French club will be looking to offload players this summer due to financial difficulties and are asking around £25 million for the forward. Looking at player comparisons on FBRef, Mikautadze shares many similarities with Isak—both of their shots on target per 90 lie between 1.34 and 1.37. The pair are also versatile forwards and have the ability to make intelligent off-the-ball runs.

Mikautadze is a cut-price option for Newcastle, who has been linked with Premier League moves to West Ham in the past, and Tottenham Hotspur more recently. At 24, he is an experienced professional, getting his first taste of European action for Lyon and Ajax in the last couple of seasons.

Georges Mikautadze ⚽️⚽️#UEL pic.twitter.com/zt5TuVAQxF

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 7, 2025

Marcus Thuram

Lilian Thuram’s son was heavily linked with the Magpies two years ago, before opting to sign for Inter Milan. The 27-year-old is an older option for Newcastle, having scored plenty of goals in France, Germany, and Italy. Untested in the Premier League, now might be the best time for the forward to move to England as the next step in his career.

Thuram has surpassed 20 goal contributions in both of his Serie A seasons, almost half of those coming as assists, proving that his link-up play - like Isak’s - is a valuable asset. Standing at 6’4”, the striker is the same height as Isak and possesses similar physical attributes. Inter Milan will want to keep hold of Thuram, so a release clause of around £70 million might be the only way to secure the player's services this summer.

Marcus Thuram league goals:

14 in 2024/25
13 in 2023/24
13 in 2022/23

📈 pic.twitter.com/5mSv7o1ZyY

— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) April 5, 2025

Nicolas Jackson

An intriguing option, Jackson has proven himself in the Premier League since joining Chelsea in 2023. However, with Liam Delap and Joao Pedro signing for the Blues recently, the Senegalese international might find himself pushed down the pecking order. The 24-year-old would be an ideal fit for Howe’s Newcastle tactics, a system which thrives on attackers making aggressive runs into space. Jackson's electric pace and desire to run in behind would significantly boost the Toon’s frontline.

Newcastle can also offer Jackson Champions League football, something that transfer competitors Manchester United cannot. Last season, Jackson (1.01) outperformed Isak (0.49) when it came to tackles and interceptions per 90. Not a necessary requirement for forwards, but something that can be tapped into in Howe’s pressing system. Chelsea will not sell the player for cheap, but the fee will certainly be a cut price compared to Isak’s eventual deal.

🚨 Newcastle have already made preliminary contact with Nicolas Jackson but Chelsea are an astronomical £80M for the striker.🤯

Newcastle’s valuation is closer to £65M.

(Source: @MsiDouglas) pic.twitter.com/IQkQTdoGQw

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 28, 2025

Samu Aghehowa

If Newcastle want to take more of a gamble, then Aghehowa is the perfect stab in the dark. The Spaniard is evidently looking for a move to the Premier League, specifically to a team playing in Europe, with Aston Villa already keen to bring Aghehowa in. At 21, the forward scored 27 goals for Porto in all competitions during his first year at the club, rocketing himself to the top of many top teams' transfer lists.

Once again, Aghehowa fits the profile of a tall and strong centre forward, and is the same height as Isak. In the 2024/25 Primeira Liga, he ranked in the 99th percentile for challenges lost per 90 and the 88th percentile for Aerials lost, highlighting that Aghehowa is both strong in the air and hard to dispossess. Whilst unproven in England, the player is a huge prospect coming out of Iberia, already playing for the Spanish senior national team twice.

🚨🇪🇸🇵🇹 | The New Young Striker of @FCPorto 🐉

🇪🇸 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐮 𝐎𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝟐𝟎𝐲)

- Physical
- Pace
- Link Up Play
- Attacking Movement

Scored 9 Goals ⚽️ in 2023/24 La Liga 🇪🇸

🌟 Potential: 9.4/10

pic.twitter.com/ul4TYh3rBE

— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) August 23, 2024

Moise Kean

Premier League fans probably thought that they had seen the last of Moise Kean when he left Everton in 2023. The former Juventus wonderkid scored two Premier League goals in 33 appearances, rapidly falling out of favour at Goodison Park. Yet, numerous Premier League clubs are rumoured to be interested in the forward, and Newcastle would be missing out not to join the hype.

🚨🇮🇹 Moise Kean (25) does NOT want to join a team in Saudi Arabia. He had an offer for weeks from Al Qadsiah but did not reply. ❌

One of the main reasons is that he wants to continue competing in Europe, reports @DiMarzio. pic.twitter.com/F7rzZvjfWA

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 13, 2025

Included in the Serie A team of the season whilst at Fiorentina last campaign. Kean was second in the Italian League’s Golden Boot standings with 19 goals, bagging five in the Conference League too during the Viola’s run to the final. The striker was a young 21-year-old when he made his last Premier League appearance; now, as a more experienced professional, Kean could be looking for a return to the English game, with Newcastle a realistic destination.