Market Data 
Newcastle United is looking at signing a new striker this summer, with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap the latest to be linked with a transfer to St James’ Park.
Delap, 22, has 12 Premier League goals for the Tractor Boys this season, and travels to face Newcastle on Saturday after it emerged in The Telegraph that Eddie Howe’s team wants to sign him.
Defeat for Ipswich will see it officially relegated to the Championship, English soccer’s second division. Once that happens, a clause in Delap’s contract allowing him to leave the club in the summer for £30m ($40m) will activate.
While Newcastle’s desire for a new striker is clear and has been for some time, a problem is developing. Signing a player of Delap’s quality and potential will appeal, but at that price, many clubs will also be interested and it will be hard to persuade him a move to Tyneside is right for him.
It isn’t that Newcastle wouldn’t be a good fit – in many ways it would be ideal – but strikers will be the biggest commodity in the summer market. In Alexander Isak, it already has the player most clubs dream of signing. Anybody who joins Newcastle will need to accept second best to the Swede and potentially less playing time; most of the teams who will make a case for Delap will do so with him in mind to be the main man.
The difficulty Newcastle faces is balancing the need for quality cover and competition for Isak while knowing that any player good enough will likely want more. Qualification for the Champions League will make joining Newcastle an attractive proposition, while also increasing the need for options due to the number of extra games it will bring, but knowing you are almost certainly not going to be first choice is a big obstacle to overcome.
Newcastle’s main back up for Isak is Callum Wilson, a proven goalscorer in the Premier League who has suffered badly. The 33-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season and a new deal is not said to be in the planning. William Osula, a talented young Danish striker, has impressed in spells during his debut season after a $20m move from Sheffield United last summer, but is not ready to perform consistently at the highest level yet.
Where else is Newcastle looking?
Other targets include Lille’s Jonathan David, who is out of contract in the summer and, like Delap, is attracting interest from a number of clubs, and reportedly Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha.
While David has been on Newcastle’s radar for some time, he may prefer to move elsewhere because of fears over game time too. Emegha has scored 13 goals in 25 games for Strasbourg and is helping them charge towards the Champions League places in France’s Ligue 1. He is the sort of player who suits the remit of Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell, who has been charged with identifying talented players in ‘lesser explored’ markets, while his similarity to Isak in style and physique will suit Howe.
Tall, powerful strikers able to create chances for themselves and stay calm in front of goal are exactly what Newcastle want. Delap certainly falls into that characterization and has already proven himself in the Premier League; Emegha is a bit more of a wildcard, but still suits the brief.
Yet because of Isak’s immense quality and obvious standing as number one, Newcastle face a challenge signing anyone capable and willing to compete with him.
