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| Alexander Isak of Real Sociedad controls the ball during the LaLiga Santander match between Villarreal CF and Real Sociedad at Estadio de la Ceramica on May 15, 2022 in Villarreal, Spain. |
Newcastle United are reportedly willing to break the
bank to sign 22-year-old Swedish striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad, who
could cost them over £50 million.
According to The Telegraph, Real Sociedad star Alexander Isak has emerged
as Newcastle United’s new top target this summer as Eddie Howe looks to
add firepower to his attack.
The Toon chiefs have unanimously agreed that the
Swedish striker should be the priority in the transfer window to bolster their
striking department, having done extensive scouting work last season. But
Newcastle fear they will have to blow the entirety of the club’s leftover
transfer budget to bring the 22-year-old to St James’ Park, as Isak could
potentially require a club-record fee.
As such, Newcastle United are already in talks with
the La Liga outfit but are yet to reach an agreement so far, with the Tyneside
giants trying to iron out a ‘buy-now-pay-later’ deal for the Swedish
international.
The overall package could cost them in excess of £50
million. The Magpies currently trying to structure a deal that would see them
pay an initial £30 million up front, with another significant payment made next
summer and bonuses in the subsequent year after that, to stretch the outlay of
a potential transfer and make the deal affordable.
Isak is one of the most highly-rated young
strikers in Europe, having flourished in La Liga in recent years and also
starring for Sweden at Euro 2020 last year. He is actually coming off a
poor season in which he scored just 10 goals across all competitions, which in itself
is quite surprising given that he scored 17 goals in the season previous to
that.
This has impacted his stock slightly, but as a young
player, ups and downs are to be expected, especially since he is still in the
early phase of his career. The youngster has been linked with a Premier
League switch for a while now. Reports have suggested Arsenal expressed an interest in signing the 22-year-old,
however, were fended off by Sociedad’s exorbitant asking price.
Newcastle now have a live interest in securing his signature before
the end of the current window. The Magpies’ need for a striker is
well-documented. Callum Wilson is their primary striker, and is undeniably a
prolific customer in front of goal. But his injury record is woeful, while
Chris Wood is a target-man type striker, lacking the mobility to threaten the
opposition backline.
The Newcastle hierarchy are scouring for a top-young
talent who could not only learn the trade in the Premier League from his
veteran counterparts but also be a solid option up top if called upon next
season.
Isak ticks all the boxes; standing at 6ft 4in, he
can dominate defenders physically but can also outmanoeuvre them thanks to his
pace, trickery, and link-up play, which are deceptive attributes for someone of
his frame, making him a nightmare to defend against at times.
Newcastle will have to smash their current transfer
record of £40 million to land the Sweden international, which could derail
their pursuit of a wide player and a new creative midfielder. Whether they go
ahead with the big investment in the former Borussia Dortmund striker will be
interesting to see.
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