Newcastle have isak transfer task previously encountered by conte and mourinho

Newcastle have isak transfer task previously encountered by conte and mourinho


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Newcastle United have grand summer plans this summer as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his attacking options - but one problem the Magpies will have to overcome revolves around Alexander Isak.


The Swede is United's main man, with contract talks pencilled in for the near future to finally shut down any lingering speculation regarding a potential exit. However, the problem


arises in finding a suitable and content backup to Isak this summer. Callum Wilson has filled that role with professionalism, while William Osula is not yet trusted to fully act as the No


14's permanent backup. Though after a teary apparent farewell from the former on the final day of the season, it would be no surprise to see a fresh-faced, backup striker arrive before


the summer window comes to an end. Ipswich Town youngster Liam Delap was tracked by Newcastle for that role, given his £30m release clause, before ultimately choosing to leave the Tractor


Boys for Chelsea in the coming weeks. This, despite interest from Howe's men, Manchester United, Everton and Nottingham Forest. Delap is said to have opted for the move to west London


due to the prospect of regular first-team football. The young forward, after all, could quite easily leapfrog Nicolas Jackson in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. Had Delap chosen


Newcastle, the writing would likely have been on the wall as to his chances of starting matches regularly given Isak's dominance and reliability in recent seasons. As the window begins


to progress in the weeks to come, it will be fascinating to see how Newcastle plan to sell their vision to transfer targets in that position. It is a dilemma Tottenham Hotspur had to deal


with for many years before Harry Kane left the club for Bayern Munich. The England hero was untouchable in the capital and led the line for the club consistently for close to a decade. The


likes of Roberto Soldado, Carlos Vinicius, Victor Janssen, Fernando Llorente, Clinton N'Jie and others all arrived at the club in that period but failed to push past Kane in the pecking


order. That caused issues for experienced managers, such as Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, who were tasked with persuading talented attackers to join the club without being able to offer


them regular starts at the point of Spurs' attack. “If you want to have ambition to be competitive and fight for something important you need to have 20 players - two players in every


role," said Conte. "For the coach, it's very difficult to decide to keep Harry on the bench." Meanwhile, Mourinho, on the subject, said: "I know we have one of the


best strikers in the world; the best striker in England. But I don't like the word 'back-up'," the Portuguese said at the time. "A striker can play with Harry Kane.


A striker who comes here won't be filling the back-up situation." That is Newcastle's mission this summer. Find their very own backup who can learn from - and push - Isak on


Tyneside. With four competitions to attack next term, Howe knows he will need a forward who can step into the limelight whenever called upon.