During the summer, all indications pointed to the young striker Hugo Ekitike as the target acquisition that Newcastle would be building their attack around in years to come. The Reims star however refused agreement on specific personal terms after a deal had already been in the making. A new report has now surfaced that the Magpies are planning a bid that could break the record of previous transfer deals. Eddie Howe seemingly wants to add some firepower to his team, and the Newcastle United team is hunting Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who has flourished on the international stage in La Liga.
Isak is reportedly keen to move to the Premier League team, with hints of Arsenal contemplating signing him in January. Mike Arteta and the Gunners rejected the hefty fee, which has since dropped to the current £ 50 million mark. A compromise on price needs to be reached with Real Sociedad, as Newcastle feel the proposed price tag is too high, considering his performance last season. Betting odds on the deal can be found on the newest betting apps, where you can pick the outcome.
Alexander, a Swedish national, first appeared on the footie scene aged only 16 at AIK in Sweden. He later joined the Bundesliga, where things did not quite work out for this 6ft4 striker. Aged just 17, Alexander was the youngest ever goal scorer for Sweden, with an opening goal of a 6-0 win in a friendly with Slovakia in 2017. He joined Real Sociedad from Borussia Dortmund at 19 years of age for £14m. The move to Real Sociedad reignited his career, and he has since made 128 appearances for the La Liga team. His short career boasts a total of 43 goals, of which ten were scored during this last season.
If Real Sociedad would be willing to a more realistic figure based on an accurate valuation, this deal could go through before the end of summer. It has been speculated that Newcastle may well resort to a buy-now-pay-later agreement if Sociedad sticks to their price, with an initial instalment coming next summer. The Magpies are unanimous in that Isak would be a talented addition to the team and might go to exorbitant lengths to acquire the Swede. Newcastle may have to break their previous record of a £40million transfer fee and spend the remainder of their entire transfer budget to make this deal happen. Despite the club’s cash injection following the Saudi takeover worth £300million, Newcastle may be forced into a loan, as they have already spent almost £60million in recent weeks by adding Sven Botman, Nick Pope and Matt Targett to their ranks.
President of Sociedad, Jokin Aperribay, has confirmed that they do not wish to lose Isak, who last summer signed a five-year contract that included a release clause worth £70million. Isak, who to date has not made any plea yet to leave Spain, enjoys a great relationship with Sociedad and boss Imanol Alguacil.
Alexander has often said that he would like to play in the Premier Leagues, as every player always wants to reach the highest level possible and be the greatest version of themselves that they can be. He loves the game and lives to play football, which is why he feels Spain suits him the best.
Rumours have also been doing the rounds that Real Madrid may have an interest in the young player as an understudy for Karim Benzema and a possible long-term replacement. Benzema has been on top form the last four years but is fast approaching the final half of his career. Real Madrid will need to plan for a successor accordingly, and Isak is one of their top choices. He is regarded as one of the young strikers with the most promise in Europe, with Swedes comparing him to the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Spanish media have linked him to north London club Arsenal, but they are unlikely to pay the hefty price and may look elsewhere for similar talent. Even though he had a fairly productive season in La Liga, his returns might not validate the asking price La Real has highlighted.