Newcastle's Alexander Isak replacement? Magpies interested in PSG striker Goncalo Ramos should Swedish star depart for Liverpool

Newcastle's renewed interest in Ramos, as reported by the Daily Mail, coincides with Alexander Isak’s simmering desire to engineer a switch to Liverpool before the transfer window closes. Eddie Howe is reluctant to lose his talisman without adequate reinforcements, but with Isak’s camp angling for Merseyside, the Magpies are under pressure to line up replacements fast.

PSG are more open to offloading Ramos permanently rather than sanctioning a temporary loan deal. While Luis Enrique’s men are fresh from their UEFA Super Cup triumph over Tottenham, where Ramos found the net, the striker’s role remains that of a rotation piece rather than a nailed-on starter. The French champions would entertain a respectable bid, and intermediaries are believed to have already flagged to Newcastle that a deal could be engineered.

Ramos himself appeared to close the door on speculation following that Super Cup success, telling reporters he was “committed to PSG’s project” and determined to fight for his place in the squad. Yet those words may not tell the full story. He has struggled to nail down a consistent starting role in Paris. A chance to become the spearhead of Howe’s attack in the Premier League might prove too tempting to dismiss.

With the September 1 deadline fast approaching, Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell are pushing hard to secure two attacking recruits. Brentford’s Yoane Wissa is on the verge of sealing a move to Tyneside, but Howe remains insistent that Ramos, or a player of similar calibre, must also be landed.

The urgency of Newcastle’s search was laid bare in their Premier League opener against Aston Villa, where they struggled to find a cutting edge in a frustrating goalless encounter. While Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga both fashioned chances, neither could provide the killer touch that Isak has supplied so often. For a club in the Champions League, the lack of firepower is a problem that simply cannot be ignored.