How Newcastle United feel about Ollie Watkins right now as striker search restarts

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Before Newcastle United appeared to go all in on Hugo Ekitike, Ollie Watkins was a player who Toon officials discussed.

With Callum Wilson leaving Newcastle, the club have stepped up their search for a replacement. Newcastle’s priority is to sign a striker, and they thought they were doing just that with Hugo Ekitike.

However, Ekitike is signing for Liverpool as Newcastle United look elsewhere. Yoane Wissa is a Newcastle target, and he would certainly be a welcome addition to Eddie Howe’s squad.

It was also reported earlier in July that Newcastle were looking at Ollie Watkins. Landing him would be quite a coup, given the fact that Aston Villa are one of the Magpies’ direct rivals.

Whether Newcastle United could move for Ollie Watkins

In the wake of Newcastle’s Ekitike deal collapsing, now would be the time to make a statement and go all out for a player like Watkins.

However, the Athletic’s Chris Waugh has stated that the 29-year-old is not currently a player who the Newcastle United recruitment team are pursuing.

As part of a Q&A, Waugh wrote for the Athletic: “The list of potential striker targets stretches further than those two [Yoane Wissa and Dominic Calvert-Lewin], though Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is not deemed a live option right now.”

Watkins has also been linked with Manchester United, who are finally set to sign former Toon target Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.

Newcastle United have ‘loads’ of Hugo Ekitike alternatives

While Watkins is not currently an option for Newcastle, they have done their homework on plenty of other strikers.

That is what transfer expert Graeme Bailey has told Geordie Boot Boys, as he reflects on the Magpies’ interest in Ekitike coming to an end.

“Newcastle have options, they have done their work on loads of players,” he said.

“We know Wissa is a big target and Eddie would like him, but others are there including Benjamin Sesko.

“Newcastle insist they were not all in for Ekitike.”

Signing Sesko would be a serious statement. It would be just as ambitious as Newcastle’s Ekitike pursuit.

However, Wissa might be better suited to Newcastle and their needs. On the flip side, Newcastle will be worried about Wissa and whether or not Brentford will want to do a deal amid their decision to let Mbeumo go for £71million.