Nicolas Jackson suspicions raised by Newcastle as Chelsea make £20m transfer sacrifice

Newcastle have reportedly raised concerns about Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson as the Magpies attempt to sign two strikers this summer. They are already searching for Callum Wilson's replacement, following his free transfer to West Ham, while Alexander Isak is trying to force through a British record move to Liverpool.

Jackson had emerged as a target for Newcastle following the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at Chelsea. The Senegal international was reduced to a bit-part role at the Club World Cup and he will harbour fears that the fringe position will continue into the new season.

However, the Daily Mail claim that Newcastle will instead pursue other players on their shortlists before Jackson. That is because of internal doubts being raised, claiming he is a gamble compared to other options due to previous incidents.

The 24-year-old is suspended for the opening game of the Premier League season after elbowing Sven Botman at Newcastle in May, with such infringements forcing the Magpies to slightly raise their eyebrows.

That is despite Chelsea willing to sacrifice £20million to make a deal happen. A valuation, put to several interested parties, was £80m.

However, they will sell at £60m to Newcastle as a result of their strong relationship.

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Informal talks have taken place regarding Jackson, but players such as Yoane Wissa and Jorgen Strand Larsen are being prioritised. They are on a shortlist alongside Ollie Watkins, Rodrigo Muniz, Goncalo Ramos and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Jackson has also stated that his sole focus is currently on Chelsea and fighting for his place in a team competing on multiple fronts once again.

He told DSport: "Competition? I have no competition. We're all here to help the club. Everyone has their role to play. I'm on a mission. It's up to the coach to make his choices. I focus solely on my work.

"I'm a Chelsea player. The future belongs to god. If there are any changes, you'll know. For now, I'm focused on my preparation."

While Enzo Maresca admitted that there was a chance that Jackson could leave on Thursday, saying: "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."

But despite Chelsea's willingness to compromise on a fee, Newcastle may opt against pursuing Jackson, who also has interest from Aston Villa.