Nicolas Jackson prefers to stay at Chelsea following renewed interest from Newcastle United, according to reports.
Newcastle have been dealt another blow in their search for a striker as Benjamin Sesko is now on course to join Manchester United.
Eddie Howe’s side submitted their opening bid for Sesko over the weekend but their offer of €75 million (£65.5m), plus €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons, was turned down by RB Leipzig.
Newcastle followed that up with an improved bid of €80m (£69.5m), plus €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons but that figure has been matched by United, who have now agreed personal terms with the 22-year-old.
Jackson is now being considered as an alternative option by Newcastle, who want to sign a new striker before the start of the new Premier League season.
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However, The Guardian reports that Jackson’s preference is to remain at Chelsea, even though the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap this summer have increased the competition for a place in Enzo Maresca’s side.
The report adds that Chelsea are open to selling the 24-year-old, who scored 10 goals in the Premier League last season, but could demand a transfer fee of £80m.
That figure would represent a significant profit for Chelsea as they spent £32m on signing Jackson from La Liga side Villarreal two years ago.
Newcastle, meanwhile, remain in a standoff with Alexander Isak as they ordered the striker to train on his own on Wednesday.
Isak, who was the subject of a £110m bid from Liverpool last week, pulled out of Newcastle’s pre-season tour of the Far East and trained on his own in Spain with his former club Real Sociedad.
‘You have to earn the right to train with us,’ Howe said this week.
‘We are Newcastle United. The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad – you have to act in the right way. So that is also at play here.
‘We will make sure that any player does that to earn the right to train with the group. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.’
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