Newcastle United is considering a potential move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, should Alexander Isak decide to leave the club this summer.
Isak has not joined the Magpies on their pre-season tour of Asia as he evaluates his future, following interest from Liverpool.
Sesko had been heavily linked with Arsenal until the Gunners shifted their attention to Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres.
Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea have also shown interest in the Slovenian international earlier in the transfer window.
Newcastle will only pursue the 22-year-old Sesko, who netted 13 goals in 33 Bundesliga matches last season, if Isak departs.
The club stated that Isak, 25, did not travel to Singapore with the squad due to a "minor thigh injury."
Teammate Dan Burn expressed to Sky Sports that losing any player at this point in the window would "upset a tight-knit group," while captain Bruno Guimaraes emphasized the importance of retaining key players.
"He is a top striker; his record over the last three seasons speaks for itself. He's a top player," Guimaraes commented.
"But as far as I know, he stayed behind because of his injury and ongoing treatment with the club."
Isak scored 27 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions for Newcastle last season, and his exit would leave the northeast club with limited options in attack.
Newcastle Stutters in Striker Pursuit
Callum Wilson departed St James' Park on a free transfer earlier this month, and 21-year-old Will Osula, who scored twice in 19 outings last season, is the only other senior striker available to manager Eddie Howe.
Newcastle is preparing to compete on multiple fronts in 2025-26 after securing a return to the Champions League but has been slow to strengthen its squad during the off-season.
The club has struggled to secure reinforcements, with targets Joao Pedro and Liam Delap opting for Chelsea, while Hugo Ekitike chose a move to Liverpool.
Forward Anthony Elanga is the sole new addition to Howe's squad, having completed a £55 million transfer from Nottingham Forest.
A move for Yoane Wissa remains a top priority for Newcastle, even if Isak remains, as the DR Congo forward appears open to a transfer after leaving Brentford's pre-season base in Portugal this week.