Newcastle United are now believed to be planning a huge £69m offer for an attacking star who has been hailed for his “maverick” qualities.

Newcastle draw blank without Isak

The Magpies got their Premier League season started with a 0-0 draw away to Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime, with no sign of Alexander Isak in the matchday squad, as expected.

Newcastle were arguably the better team throughout, but they couldn’t break down Villa’s 10 men late in the day, with Eddie Howe giving his assessment of the Isak situation before kick-off.

“We do [have to forget about Isak] – he’s not here with us. We have to focus on who is here and get the best out of them. The players are aware he’s not here, the focus will be on each player playing to the best of their ability.

“I want him to play. I want him to train. I’ve had those conversations [with Isak] but the details of those will remain private. There is no change to the situation. All my focus has been on the training, Aston Villa and the transfer front in terms of getting players in – that is all-consuming for me. Alex’s situation has been unchanged for a while and that will continue to be the case.”

Newcastle are continuing to look for possible Isak replacements, before potentially selling the Swede to Liverpool, and an exciting player has now been linked with a move to St James’ Park.

Newcastle planning £69m offer for star

According to a report from Spain, Newcastle are now preparing a £69m bid for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo this summer.

The 25-year-old is reportedly seen as the ‘ideal’ option to help fill the potential void left by Isak, following two goals against Liverpool on Friday evening.

Semenyo could be a magnificent signing for Newcastle if they can strike a deal this month, with the Bournemouth ace arguably among the best wide forwards in the Premier League.

The Ghanaian not only displayed his quality against champions Liverpool on Friday, stunning them with two good finishes, but he also showed incredible mental resilience after being subjected to racist abuse from the stands.

Semenyo feels like a sure-fire bet for Newcastle, in terms of being a success for Newcastle from the off, with analyst Ben Mattinson lauding his “maverick” style of attacking play.

The Isak saga is reaching a point of no return, with the striker not training with his teammates and potentially alienating himself from them, so a sale may end up being the sensible decision, even though it would mean losing a world-class player.

Signing Semenyo could go a long way towards helping make up for the loss of Isak, although he isn’t exactly a like for like replacement due to primarily being a wide forward.