The European giants want an £83million Newcastle ace and it could be another Cole disaster

Since he assumed the position of manager at Newcastle UnitedEddie Howe has had the luxury of spending hundreds of millions of pounds. Of course, this is because of his inauguration in 2021when the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia bought a majority stake in the club.

It’s fair to say that the new owners of St James’ Park haven’t been afraid to splash the cash when they need to. Last summer, they were held back by the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, so they didn’t spend much. However, in recent years, the likes of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon have done so they all came together for a significant fee.

The Magpies’ record label is Alexander Isakbut has recently been linked with a move away from the club.

The potential departure of Alexander Isak

Swedish striker Isak has been sensational since his club record move of £63m at St James’ Park, of the Spanish Royal Society. The striker has 46 goals and nine assists in 85 games for the club in all competitions.

He has been a consistent goalscorer in the Premier League, despite struggling with injuries throughout his Magpies career. It has already reached double figures for the 2024/25 season, having he only played 15 games.

Despite scoring twice in a game eight times, the 25-year-old had never managed a hat-trick for the Magpies. However, that all changed last weekend after he scored three goals against Ipswich Town in a 4-0 win, a phenomenal performance.

However, things may not be as good as they might seem. According to Spanish reportsthe deadly centre-forward is a target for French giants Paris Saint-Germain. PSG coach Luis Enrique has “selected” him as a possible signing. It could cost around £83m to sign him.

If Isak leaves, the Magpies are in danger of repeating a 1990s sale that proved to be a costly mistake.

The transfer repeat that Newcastle will hope to avoid

There are few players as underrated in Premier League football as Andy Cole. he he scored 187 goals in the Premier Leaguethe fourth most in the history of the competition. incredibly only one of those strikes it was a penalty.

For the Magpies, Cole was devastating. He only played three seasons at the club, but managed to score 68 goals and get 23 assists. in 84 appearances. In the 1993/94 season, he scored 34 goals in 40 Premier League appearances.

It was on the back of this unstoppable form that Manchester United paid a British record fee of £8.6 million. According to The Transfer Indexthat would be around £123 million in today’s money, an extraordinary rate with inflation.

It’s fair to say Cole’s move to Old Trafford paid off. He continued play 275 games for the club, scoring 121 goals and picking up 44 assists in that time. He too won five Premier League titles and was a crucial part of the side that won the treble in 1998/99.

Despite the money they received, the Magpies surely regretted selling their striker. Although they signed Alan Shearer as a replacement, these two could have formed a clinical partnership.

Cole could also have made a huge difference in their pursuit of the Premier League title. Newcastle finished second twicein 1995/96 and 1996/97, but if they had kept the striker he could have been the man to give them the lead and win the league.

That’s simply not a mistake Newcastle can make with Isak. Money is lucrative and perhaps hard to turn down. However, they are building a project, with ambitions to win the Premier League, as Amanda Staveley explained after taking over in 2021.

The Swedish striker could be the key force behind this. To find someone as clinical in front of goal as Isak is a rarity for Newcastle. They are once-in-a-generation forwards, like Cole and Shearer.

That doesn’t mean the Swede will reach those heights, but his numbers at this stage are undeniable, and he could be the man to take them to the top. Selling Isak could be a huge mistake for the Magpies, and they might lose their best hope of finally lifting a Premier League title, just like they did when Cole left all those years ago.

related

Newcastle in pole position to sign £25m ace who could be the new Hall

Newcastle have staged a mini-resurgence but need to step up in the January transfer window.