The £50m dream striker Newcastle United could pursue after ending Dominic Calvert-Lewin interest

The fact Newcastle United are looking to boost their forward ranks during the summer transfer window is no secret.

There’s even a suggestion the Magpies would like to add two forwards to Eddie Howe’s squad, with one an out-and-out striker and the other a more versatile attacking player in the mould of Anthony Gordon. For now, the focus remains on the former as the United hierarchy look to provide competition for top goalscorer Alexander Isak. That will be their priority until a firm decision is made over the future of Callum Wilson as the England striker enters into the final year of his current deal at St. James’ Park.

The former Bournemouth front-man was believed to be the subject of an enquiry from West Ham United in recent days and is also said to have interest from a number of clubs in the Saudi Arabia Pro League - although a move to the latter would provoke intense scrutiny with Newcastle’s PIF-led ownership.

Assessing what could lie ahead for Wilson is no easy task - and Howe is keen to retain the services of a player he first worked with during his time at Bournemouth. However, with the threat of losing Wilson on a free transfer next summer now a realistic possibility, it seems a parting of the ways before the end of August is increasingly likely.

Newcastle are having to box clever in the transfer market and, in their words, ‘be creative’ as they look to avoid falling foul of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations and boost Howe’s ranks at the same time. The coming days are expected to be hectic for the Magpies’ decision makers with young winger Yankuba Minteh expected to move on and there has been talk of a move to Everton coinciding with Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin heading to Newcastle.

Such a move would have aided both clubs in their battle with financial regulations - although it now seems the Magpies are no longer interested in Calvert-Lewin and Minteh looks set to move elsewhere with the likes of Roma and Lyon keen on a deal for the Gambia international.

So where does that leave Newcastle in their attempts to land a striker that will provide competition for the impressive Isak? Benjamin Sesko has come up in conversations between the Magpies recruitment team after impressing in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig and was believed to be a target for Newcastle prior to his move to Germany.

However, the Slovenia international has already indicated he will remain in Leipzig for the new season after penning a new deal before turning his focus to representing his country at Euro 2024 and would likely have been unattainable after Newcastle’s failure to qualify for Europe. Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy was another Bundesliga star that was watched by United after he scored 30 goals in as many appearances in all competitions last season - but such a move also seems unlikely.

It’s well-known Eddie Howe would prefer Premier League experience in new additions despite the unquestionable success found by the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Isak following their moves to Newcastle. There is some merit in Howe’s desire for that experience and he will need a striker to hit the ground running when the new campaign gets underway as he looks to help the Magpies move on from what could be viewed as an underwhelming season last time out.

Although Premier League strikers will come at a premium, something shown in Everton’s reported demands of almost £40m for Calvert-Lewin, there is one front-man that could provide Howe with everything he desires in a forward. As it stands, no firm decision has been taken over the future of Brentford striker Ivan Toney as he enters into the final year of his contract with the Bees. Manager Thomas Frank has dropped several hints indicating the England striker could be sold this summer if a suitable offer is received and it is thought Brentford would consider a deal worth around £50m.

Toney would have a point to prove at Newcastle after he struggled to make an impact at St. James’ Park earlier in the career, making just four senior appearances for the Magpies before going on to find the net with regularity at Peterborough United and firing Brentford into the Premier League. It should be added both Toney and Newcastle are in very different places these days, with the Magpies no longer the subject of limited ambition imposed upon them by their former owner and Toney now a proven striker, rather than the bright prospect he was during his first stint on Tyneside.

Speaking to the Diary of a CEO podcast about his move to St James' Park in 2015, Toney said: "Going from League Two to the Premier League is crazy. At Northampton, you get recognised but it's not crazy, then going to Newcastle - I'm in the hotel and everybody is recognising me straight away, there's a crowd outside the hotel waiting to see me. At 18, it was all happening so fast. It's crazy, you want to tell everybody. My head was all over the place, thinking I'm going to the Premier League.

"When you take that step you get more money and you do silly things. You get mixed in the wrong crowd, going out, buying things you wouldn't normally buy. Being a bit naive. Being away from my family, even though they kept on telling me not to do anything silly, they weren't there to control what I had hold of. I could spend it on this and that. You do things you'd never normally do, we'd be getting personal shoppers to come to the house."

Of course, some would point to Toney’s recent ban for breaching gambling regulations as a sign he is still doing ‘silly things’. The lengthy suspension is now in the past and the striker is said to be fully focused on his future and Toney spoke of his desire to repay Brentford for the faith they showed during his absence in an interview earlier this year. However, he also stopped short of pledging his long-term future to the club and a major decision over what lies ahead will have to be made during the coming weeks.

Newcastle’s primary focus will be on selling a current player to avoid a profit and sustainability penalty over the coming days - but a move for Toney could well work for all parties once a new financial period begins next month.