Newcastle United are in the market to bring a new centre-forward to St. James’ Park before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.
It has been well publicised that Liverpool are interested in a deal to sign Alexander Isak from the Magpies, as they have had a £110m bid turned down for the Sweden international.
Eddie Howe’s side are on the lookout for a centre-forward irrespective of Isak’s future at the club, though, because they have already lost Callum Wilson, who left upon the expiry of his contract this summer.
This means that Newcastle are in the market to bring in a new number nine to potentially play alongside or as competition for the Swedish forward, and Benjamin Sesko is one of their top targets.
Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has revealed that the club have made an offer for the RB Leipzig star, and it matches their valuation of the towering attacker.
What Benjamin Sesko could bring to Newcastle
The 6 foot 5 marksman would be a fantastic signing for Newcastle because he is a well-rounded centre-forward who could be a dynamic option for Howe in the number nine position.
Despite his height, Sesko is an incredibly mobile forward who likes to get involved in build-up play with dribbles and assists, to go along with being a threat in the box.
The clips in the video above showcase his athletic qualities. He has an enormous leap on him, which helps him to score from crosses, but the forward can also run in behind and turn away from defenders with his speed and agility.
Sesko is a centre-forward, therefore, who can score in a host of different ways, whether that is from crosses, from through balls, from inside the box, or from outside of the box, which is why he is a complete number nine.
Appearances
33
xG
9.89
Goals
13
Headed goals
3
Left-footed goals
1
Right-footed goals
9
Goals from inside the box
10
Goals from outside the box
3
As you can see in the table above, the Newcastle target provided a clinical presence up front for Leipzig last season, outperforming his xG, whilst scoring in a variety of ways for the German outfit.
Sesko also delivered five assists and 1.2 dribbles per game in the Bundesliga in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he can provide creativity and drive in possession to go along with his goals.
The 22-year-old number nine is not the only striker on the club’s radar, though, and the Magpies are eyeing another star from Germany who could be even better than the Leipzig man.
Newcastle eyeing deal for Germany international
According to The Boot Room, Newcastle United are looking to bring in two new strikers before the end of the summer transfer window, possibly with a view to Isak moving on.
The report claims that the Premier League side would like to sign Sesko and another number nine, with Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade one of the potential options on their radar.
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It reveals that Yoane Wissa, Ollie Watkins, Nicolas Jackson, Evanilson, Lois Openda, and Woltemade have all emerged as possible signings for Newcastle to complement the hopeful addition of Sesko.
Woltemade is an interesting target for the Magpies because he reportedly wants to sign for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who are waiting for Stuttgart to lower their valuation of the forward before they make a move.
The Germany international is reportedly valued at a fee of £40m by the Bundesliga side, and Newcastle may sense an opportunity to swoop in for his services if Bayern are unwilling to pay the asking price.
Why Newcastle should sign Nick Woltemade
The Magpies should push to sign Woltemade this summer because he has the potential to be an even better signing than Sesko for Howe ahead of next season, even if the Slovenian ace would be a fantastic addition in his own right.
Like the Leipzig star, the German forward is another well-rounded and young, at the age of 23, number nine who could be a fantastic addition to the squad to ease the potential blow of losing Isak.
The 23-year-old whiz is coming off the back of an exceptional U21 tournament with Germany at the Euros this summer, as he racked up six goals and three assists in just five matches.
U23 scout Antonio Mango, who also dubbed the striker “exceptional”, claimed that the forward was “turning heads” at the tournament, and it is easy to see why with the highlights in the clips above.
His form in the Bundesliga last season, though, is what suggests that Woltemade could come in as an even better centre-forward option than Sesko if Howe provides him with opportunities to shine as the main number nine.
Appearances
33
28
Minutes
2,407
1,636
Goals
13
12
Minutes per goal
185
136
Big chances created
5
8
xA
1.73
3.44
Key passes per game
0.6
1.3
As you can see in the table above, the Stuttgart star had a superior minutes per goal ratio and created far more xA for his teammates, and key passes per game, despite playing around 800 fewer minutes in the division.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to offer even more to the team in the centre-forward position than Sesko, as the German attacker is more prolific and more creative, at least based on their form in the Bundesliga last term.
Woltemade could, therefore, make a bigger impact in the final third in the Premier League as a striker who is more likely to score goals and create high-quality chances for his teammates, which is further backed up by his sensational output at the U21 Euros this summer.
Of course, the great part of this latest report is that Newcastle are interested in Sesko and Woltemade, which means that they could both arrive at St. James’ Park to compete with each other for a starting berth.
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Based on their Bundesliga form in the 2024/25 campaign, though, the Stuttgart man may be the best option to start, at least in the short term.