With Callum Wilson having confirmed his intention to move on from Tyneside, the Magpies will be signing another forward this summer. Will Osula is currently the only attacking alternative to Isak, an unsustainable situation as Eddie Howe’s side prepare to return to the Champions League next season.
Newcastle have already spent £52m to sign Anthony Elanga this summer, but weekend reports have suggested they are considering a club-record move for Ekitike.
The French striker has a €100m (around £84m) release clause in his contract at Eintracht Frankfurt, and it will need a bid of that magnitude to prise the 23-year-old from his current employers.
Frankfurt officials accept there is nothing they can do if a club opts to trigger Ekitike’s release clause this summer, but with Arsenal and Liverpool also having been linked with a potential move, the Bundesliga club are adamant they will not be losing their star striker for a lower fee than €100m.
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If Newcastle were to pay that sum for a forward they have tracked for most of the last three or four years, not only would it be a major signal of intent, it would also raise inevitable questions over Isak’s future.
However, whatever happens in terms of incomings this summer, the Magpies hierarchy remain adamant that Isak is not for sale.
Newcastle officials remain hopeful of agreeing a new deal with Isak and his representatives, with talks expected to take place before the end of the transfer window.
Those talks will reinforce just how important Isak is to Newcastle’s long-term development, with the 25-year-old regarded as a critical part of the club’s attempts to become permanent members of the English elite.
Isak, who has also been linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool, is considered to be untouchable, no matter what happens with the rest of the Newcastle squad in the next few weeks.
The Magpies confirmed Elanga’s arrival on Friday evening, and are hoping to wrap up a deal for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford ahead of next weekend’s opening pre-season friendly at Celtic.
Burnley turned down Newcastle’s initial offer of around £27m for Trafford earlier this summer, and are reportedly holding out for a fee of £40m.
Burnley boss Scott Parker is due to take his first-team squad to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp this week, and it remains to be seen whether Trafford is selected as part of the travelling party.