Newcastle striker targets compared as Sesko and Watkins decision beckons
Newcastle United’s striker search has taken a fresh twist with manager Eddie Howe lining up a list of potential options.
The Toon are at risk of going into the new season with only 21-year-old William Osula as a natural striker.
Alexander Isak is the subject of bids from Liverpool, and is not partaking in pre-season training, leaving Howe scouting the market for his replacement.
Newcastle’s pre-season results have not lifted the mood either as they were thrashed 4-0 by Celtic and lost to Arsenal and a K-League XI before stopping the sequence of losses with a draw against Spurs.
Newcastle may make Watkins move
It was exclusively revealed by Football Insider that Newcastle will target Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins if a move for Sesko falls through.
Aston Villa will want up to £60million for Watkins, which has already put Man United off a deal, but it paves the way for Newcastle to strike a deal should they be unsuccessful for Sesko.
Man United are also in the race for Sesko, as Ruben Amorim wants a striker to bolster his forward line.
Watkins was on Arsenal’s radar as a potential Gyokeres back-up, before the Gunners signed the Sporting striker.
Sesko’s data compared to Watkins
Any big spend on a new striker may come down to whether Newcastle get the funds from an Isak sale, but how do Sesko and Watkins compare if Howe needs to go all out for either one or the other?
Per Fotmob, the key stats show that perhaps Watkins would be the better option for Newcastle.
| Ollie Watkins | Benjamin Sesko | |
| Minutes Played | 2,610 | 2,399 |
| Goals | 16 | 13 |
| Assists | 8 | 5 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 15.5 | 9.89 |
| Shot accuracy | 60% | 62% |
| Big chances missed | 27 | 10 |
Watkins scored more goals and registered more assists than Sesko in their domestic leagues last season.
However, Watkins missed 27 big chances which could have increased his tally further, and shows he is often wasteful in front of goal.
At 22, Sesko has an age advantage over Watkins and the Slovenian ranks better in stats like accurate passes, successful dribbles and accurate long balls per 90 minutes.
Watkins also scored all of his 16 goals from inside the box whilst Sesko scored three times from outside the penalty area.
The pair both played in the Champions League too last season with Sesko on top for goals scored, whilst Watkins created 14 chances for his team mates and registered four assists.