Newcastle United remain without Alexander Isak, with the Sweden international still refusing to play for the club this season. It meant Eddie Howe had to get creative in their Premier League opener, with Anthony Gordon leading the line and Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga operating out wide.
For Isak’s Sweden teammate Elanga, it was an impressive debut. According to the stats on Sofascore, he made 23 sprints and showed his electric pace, clocking in at 35.3km/h as his quickest speed. He also created two chances and was a bright spark going forward for Newcastle.
However, their attack feels unbalanced with Gordon up front. They are still targeting a striker this summer, with Isak’s future still very much hanging in the balance.
Newcastle’s striker target
There have certainly been plenty of names bandied about when it comes to Newcastle’s search for a striker. One of the latest targets is Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen, with fellow Premier League centre-forwards Yoane Wissa of Brentford and Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea also viable options.
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However, another name from within the Premier League has once again cropped up. According to a report from TBR Football, the Magpies are said to have made Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins a ‘prime target’ ahead of the final ten days of the window.
The former Brentford attacker could leave Villa Park if they themselves can sign Jackson from Chelsea. Given Waktins is ‘one of the names high on their list’, Newcastle could pounce.
As for the price, it was reported earlier in the window that the Villans would demand as much as £50m for the 29-year-old.
Why Watkins would be a good signing
There is no doubt that, if Watkins makes the move to Tyneside this summer, his potential new club would be signing a ready-made Premier League striker. He has garnered a reputation as one of the Premier League’s biggest threats in front of goal.
Watkins has become an incredibly potent Premier League striker. Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley described the England star as a “dangerous” number nine, and it is easy to see why. He has 75 goals in 185 games in the English top flight, assisting a further 36.
Consistency has been key for the Exeter-born attacker. In the five full seasons of Premier League football he has played, Watkins has reached double figures for goals in all of them. The 2023/24 season was his best, a campaign in which he scored 16 top-flight goals.
2020/21
37
14
2021/22
35
11
2022/23
37
15
2023/24
37
19
2024/25
38
16
Well, Watkins might be a player that Elanga loves playing with. Newcastle’s new recruit, who signed from Nottingham Forest, had an impressive season in Garibaldi Red in 2024/25, scoring six goals and assisting 11 in 38 Premier League appearances.
Newcastle’s number 20 had a big role to play in their 0-0 draw against Watkins’ Villa last weekend.
His line-breaking pass on the counterattack to Gordon led Villans defender Ezri Konsa to haul down the makeshift striker, with the result a red card for the centre-back.
The winger loves to play with space ahead of him, as he said in an interview last season. He explained after a stunning solo effort against Manchester United that “attacking the space” is a key part of his game.
The fact that he can exploit that so well must be music to Watkins’ ears. The England striker has previously said himself that “running in behind and causing the defence trouble” is his “bread and butter”, as this goal against Everton last season showed.
It is easy to see why Elanga and Watkins could work so well together. Elanga is a player who loves to carry the ball and find runners in behind, and with Watkins’ ability to stretch play, this could play into his hands perfectly.
For a fee of £50m, pairing up a deadly Premier League striker and a proven assist-maker could be the perfect move for Howe.
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