Eddie Howe needs to take a bloody leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson's book if he wants to have any chance of replacing that Swedish muppet Alexander Isak. The Newcastle boss is facing the prospect of losing his top scorer before the end of the transfer window, and it's a right kick in the teeth for the Magpies.
Ferguson knew how to deal with Ronaldo's exit
Isak has been a right greedy bastard, pushing for a move away from St. James' Park after just three years on Tyneside. He's currently training on his own at his former club Real Sociedad, refusing to join Newcastle's pre-season tour of Asia. Liverpool are sniffing around, ready to swoop in with a British record move for the striker.
Since joining the Magpies in 2022, Isak has scored 62 goals in 109 appearances across all competitions, including 23 Premier League strikes last term. But now, Howe faces the daunting task of replacing his star man.
Alan Pardew, that old footy dinosaur, has piped up with some advice for Howe. He recalled a conversation with Ferguson ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's exit from Manchester United in 2009. The Portuguese forward was sold to Real Madrid for a then world record fee of £80million, leaving a huge void in the United squad.
Pardew explained on Breakfast: "These are the tests you get as a Premier League manager, whether you're at the top of the league, in the middle or at the bottom. You're going to get tests and Eddie's getting tested here by one of his main players."
"I remember Alex Ferguson talking about Ronaldo. It was a game just before he was about to leave. I said, 'how are you going to replace him?' He said, 'well, I'm not going to be able to replace him. There's no one who can do the numbers, right?'"
And that's the crux of the matter. Isak is a one-man goal machine, and Howe will have a hell of a job replacing his output. Ferguson's solution was to spread the goals around and buy two or three players to replicate what Ronaldo did for the team. That's what Eddie needs to do, but it's easier said than done in this bloody mental transfer market.
Sesko the solution?
Ferguson ended up bringing in Antonio Valencia, Mame Diouf, Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen to cover for Ronaldo's departure. It's not a bad blueprint for Howe to follow, but he needs to act fast to avoid getting left behind in the transfer scramble.
RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has been identified as Newcastle's preferred choice for a new centre forward. However, the Magpies face competition from Manchester United for his signature, with the Red Devils opening talks with Leipzig officials. It's a right mess, and Howe needs to get his act together quickly to avoid a striker crisis at St. James' Park.
