Alexander Isak is set to leave Newcastle for Liverpool on deadline day, but the Magpies have not yet signed a second replacement for the Swedish striker, much to the surprise of Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer is stunned that Newcastle United have yet to sign another striker now that Alexander Isak's departure to Liverpool is now on the horizon.
The summer transfer window has been dominated by the saga of Isak's impending exit, with the Swedish forward now seemingly set to make a deadline day move to the Reds in a deal worth £125million. After expressing his desire to explore other options, Isak effectively went on strike this summer and was the subject of a £110m bid from Arne Slot's side in August.
Now, following three years at St. James' Park, which ends in acrimony, the striker is scheduled for his medical on Merseyside. The focus now shifts to securing replacements, with one already in the bag - Nick Woltemade, who joined Newcastle from Stuttgart last week for £65m.
The German netted 17 times in all competitions last year and was named Player of the Tournament at the under-21 European Championships. However, with Isak's departure imminent, more attacking prowess is required, and Newcastle legend Shearer will be baffled as to why another goal scorer hasn't been signed before finalising Isak's deal.
In a conversation with Gary Lineker on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer was quizzed about the likelihood of Isak's departure. The England icon confessed he'd be quite taken aback if Isak were to leave without another striker being brought in.
"Newcastle haven't got one of the players that they want in," began Shearer, speaking before details of Isak's impending move surfaced late on Sunday. "I'd be surprised if Newcastle let him go without getting another forward in."
However, it appears that the 25-year-old's medical is scheduled and a six-year deal with Liverpool is nearly finalised. This puts added pressure on Eddie Howe's team to secure another player, with Shearer's demand clear, reports Chronicle Live.
In Isak's absence, young William Osula has been tasked with scoring goals. Despite finding the back of the net in the club's 3-2 loss to Liverpool last week, Shearer doesn't believe he's ready to be the main striker.
"He is not ready to lead the line for Newcastle," Shearer continued. "Potential? Yes. Attitude? Absolutely. You can't fault his efforts and everything else, but he's not ready to lead Newcastle in the Champions League and going forward in the league to try and get into a top five or top six space.
"His time may come in the future, but he's not ready to start yet. Woltemade, I think he could be a really clever signing," Shearer added, referring to Howe's latest signing. "But it also comes with a risk because ultimately, he's had seven or eight months playing good football.
"He has not scored a lot of goals and has not gotten great experience. Just under £70m. Newcastle, unfortunately, are always going to have to pay over the limit because there is a Saudi price now, and there might be an Isak price.
"Other clubs know that Newcastle are on the hunt for a forward, so they were always going to get stung with the price. It could turn out to be really smart signing, but it's a big, big ask for him to go in and lead the line as Newcastle's No. 9."
Newcastle have several players on their deadline day wish list, and while Shearer is baffled that a deal hasn't been sealed yet, there's likely to be a new arrival before the window shuts. Both Yoane Wissa and Jorgen Strand Larsen are still under consideration, and the club were also rumoured to be interested in Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk on Sunday.
Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson might be an option, according to the Guardian, who suggest that despite his loan move to Bayern Munich falling through, a permanent departure could still happen, and the Magpies might pounce. Newcastle may also monitor PSG star Randal Kolo Muani, whose transfer to Juventus has reportedly fallen through, with the Italian club opting for Lois Openda instead.