Will the Swede leave Tyneside?
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is reportedly an Arsenal top target to bolster their forward line next season, according to a report published by The Guardian on April 18.
Isak, who joined Newcastle in August 2022 for an initial fee of £63m in a transfer record for the Magpies organization, could reportedly command a transfer fee of around £100m according to the report.
Arsenal had previously scouted Isak extensively before his move to St. James’ Park last winter, but they ultimately left the race without submitting an offer.
It’s fair to think Arsenal will look into bolstering their squad ahead of next season after they were ousted easily from the Champions League by Bayern Munich, marking yet another year without a semi-final berth since 2009. They are also starting to fall off the Premier League race with Manchester City looking, once again, as the clear-cut favorite to lift the title unless Liverpool—not Arsenal—can prevent that from happening with just six games remaining.
Arsenal’s owner, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), will make everything in their hands to back manager Mikel Arteta with a substantial investment akin to last year’s £200m expenditure, which brought in talents like Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber—to no avail.
Off the field, however, Arsenal must be cautious to abide by the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules. However, the club’s financial outlook should be robust enough to at least attempt to purchase Isak or whoever the Gunners might want to acquire. KSE’s value has increased by £2.3bn over the past year, partly due to the success of its other sports ventures, such as the Denver Nuggets winning their first NBA title, so it’s not that Arsenal is lacking financial power.
Arsenal’s sporting director, Edu, and non-executive director Josh Kroenke are reportedly going to determine the budget for upcoming transfers and it’s still unknown if they will pursuit the addition of Isak or any alternative target.