Newcastle face embarrassing situation if they land Nicolas Jackson transfer after clash

Newcastle face the prospect of signing Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea this summer and having him suspended for their Premier League opener - because he picked up a red card against the Magpies.

Eddie Howe's summer window has been hugely underwhelming and he continues to miss out on a number of his major targets. Alexander Isak's desire to seek pastures new is set to force the club into the market to source a replacement.

Benjamin Sesko was on their radar and a bid was lodged, but that was turned down by RB Leipzig and Manchester United have since come in and look to be his preferred destination. That has led to Newcastle's interest in Jackson.

The Senegal star faces increased competition at Stamford Bridge and he could yet head to St James' Park as they look to source a new No.9. Jackson though, if he did make the move, would be suspended for Newcastle's opening game against Aston Villa.

That is owing to the red card he got when Chelsea lost at Newcastle late last season. Jackson was given a three-match suspension for a forearm smash on Newcastle defender Sven Botman. He served the first two matches of the ban last term, but still has one fixture of the suspension to fulfil.

READ MORE: Enzo Maresca issues Nicolas Jackson transfer statement as Chelsea suffer major injury

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Enzo Maresca has opened the door for the sale of Jackson in this window after the Blues signed Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to bolster their attacking ranks. The Italian said: “Nico is okay. He’s okay. When the transfer window is open, unfortunately or fortunately, anything can happen. This also involves Nico’s situation. At the moment we also had two strikers arrive, both of them in the USA, Joao (Pedro) and Liam (Delap). So we will see what happens.”

Isak's departure would leave a huge void at Newcastle. He has continued to flourish since joining the club from Real Sociedad in 2022. Last term he scored a career high 27 times in all competitions as the club secured Champions League football.

The Swede is having to train away from the first-team as Howe takes a firm stance regarding the player's future. He said: “The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad and you have to act in the right way. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.”

Newcastle are running out of time to bolster their ranks. So far the £55million signing of Antony Elanga from Nottingham Forest is their only summer arrival. They've eyed - but ultimately missed out - on the likes of Pedro, Bryan Mbeumo and James Trafford.

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