Newcastle United have been urged to consider a summer move for Karim Konate - the 20-year-old Ivory Coast striker who has been banging in the goals in the Austrian Bundesliga.

The Red Bull Salzburg forward was top scorer of the Austrian top flight last campaign with 20 goals as his side were beaten to the title by Sturm Graz. Konate's 2024-25 campaign has been rocked by injury with the striker suffering a cruciate ligament tear in November and is set to miss the majority of the campaign.

But despite the injury, Sam Mulliner, speaking on The Everything is Black and White Podcast believes Konate could prove the ideal replacement for Callum Wilson. Newcastle's number nine has himself barely featured this season due to injury and after just four substitute appearances picked up an injury which will keep him out of action until at least next month, increasingly the likelihood he will be released on a free in the summer.

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Meanwhile, Newcastle have only Alexander Isak to turn to as a senior striker - with the need for some competition a must. For Mulliner, Kontate could be the answer.

“He's really good, really, really kind of quick and powerful," he told podcast host Andrew Musgrove. "He would be a very competent replacement for Callum Wilson, potentially.

"Obviously, we are dealing on potential here, but there's something with him, I think, that could lend himself to the English game and be quite adept to a top six side in the future. He is still very young and not the finished article yet, but he's maybe one to keep an eye on.”

Liverpool were linked with Konate in the summer with the forward having a contract until 2028 at the Austrian club. There's also the issue that history suggests those who strike it hot in the Austrian top flight struggle to make an impact elsewhere. A quick look at the last 10 golden-boot winners of the Bundesliga shows you that none matched their impressive strike rate outside of that league.

However, there has been suggestions that Newcastle could look more closely at signings with potential - such as Konate - rather than ready made elite arrivals, due to PSR rules.

Podcast host Musgrove shared his concerns that United's current lack of options up-front could be come an issue as the season goes on.

“The Alexander Isak nightmare scenario does worry me slightly," he admitted. "I thought against Man United at the end, he was getting very tired. You could see he was looking a bit leggy, but Eddie Howe just didn't have an option to change it.

"That's the big concern is that you haven't got a replacement for Alexander Isak, William Osula isn't there at all yet and Eddie Howe, he doesn't seem to want to even try him there - so it would be Anthony Gordon up top with Harvey Barnes coming on the left.
"It just doesn't work. So that's another reason why I think Newcastle United will be trying to make the numbers work and doing their best to get someone in in January who can play up top.

"Whether it's a right winger who can switch to playing up top or whether it's predominantly a striker who can go head to head with Isak, it doesn't really matter as long as it's someone that can hit the ground running."

You can listen to the full episode with Andrew and Sam by clicking here as they preview the visit to Tottenham. You can watch it via YouTube here.