Newcastle United have been told why Callum Wilson could be the player to ‘replace’ Alexander Isak in the event the striker leaves the club.
Isak scored twice for the Magpies in the 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. The brace took the Sweden international’s tally up to 21 goals for the campaign in all competitions, including 17 in the Premier League.
Victory over Spurs moved Newcastle up to sixth place in the league table and above Manchester United and West Ham in the process. Now Eddie Howe and Co. will have belief in securing a European spot during the Premier League run-in.
However, Isak’s form has led to speculation that the striker could leave St James’ Park in the summer. The rumours have been intensified by Newcastle’s potential need to sell at least one star player in order to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) and the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which has seen the speculation suggest that the player could be Isak.
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Former Premier League striker Peter Crouch gave his verdict on Newcastle’s striker conundrum going forward in the event Isak does leave the club. Crouch believes that Wilson could be the one to ‘replace’ Isak next season, but did question the England international’s injury record.
Wilson has been sidelined since February with a muscle injury that has forced him to miss 10 matches in all competitions. Before his injury, Wilson had scored eight goals in 22 appearances for Newcastle this season.
“It’s a really difficult question that, but I think they do have Callum Wilson behind [Alexander] Isak,” Crouch told TNT Sports.
“He’s [Wilson] a 20-goal a season man if he stays fit. The only question mark is, can he stay fit?
“It’s a real problem for him but he’s an England international and he’s a proven goalscorer at this level. Eddie Howe knows him and I think although you don’t want to sell Isak, if you had to sell one of Bruno [Guimaraes] or him, I’d sell Isak.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
