Arsenal target Alexander Isak has revealed that playing football at Premier League level has always been his dream and that doing it with Newcastle United is “extra special” because of the club’s fervent fanbase.
Isak is reportedly one of eight forwards on the Gunners’ January wish list but there is a sense that any deal would be difficult to complete in January. The Magpies are understandably reluctant to lose the Sweden international and have put a £150m price tag on his head to deter any possible suitors. Isak, who scored his latest Premier League goal in a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, is under contract until 2028.
Last week, ex-Arsenal striker Paul Merson urged Arsenal to sign Isak. He said: “If I was Arsenal, I wouldn’t think twice and put in a massive bid to sign him in January. Isak is a real handful and in terrific form. Even if Arsenal don’t win the league this season, they will definitely win it next season, if they have him in their line-up!”
However, Isak does not appear quite ready to leave the north east as he spoke about his situation with the club. He told Prime Video Sverige via Newcastle World: “Playing football at this level has always been a dream and probably the main dream that I’ve had. Playing in the Premier League for a club like Newcastle with a fan base like they have here is extra special.”
Howe downplays reports of move
Ahead of their win over Spurs, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said he was happy to ignore any transfer speculation surrounding Isak. He said: “I think it (transfer speculation) comes with the territory now, to be honest. Maybe in my very early days, that would have left more of an impression. But I think the position that I’m in now, you sort of ignore it and it’s irrelevant.
“There’ll be so much talk and noise and rumour. You can’t control it all – you can’t even begin to try, so you just have to ignore it and just focus on the facts. Our players are loved by us, wanted by us and we’ve got massive games to come and we need them to perform. Their focus can only be on delivering in the here and now and we can only control what we can control. I don’t see that being an issue for us, especially in this window. We have so many big games to come, I am and the players are focused on having a great season and that’s all that concerns us.”
Arteta addresses Isak question and transfer business
Arsenal host Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night and Gunners boss Arteta was asked about how he plans to stop the threat of Isak: “He’s a top player in top form scoring a lot of goals and we try to minimise the strength of the opposition. That’s a big part of the plan when we’re playing any opponent.”
Asked if there was the possibility of adding more players this month, Arteta added: “That hasn’t changed – again the focus is our players. Whatever is in the market, we’re very alert, but the priority is working with the players that we have at the moment and tomorrow night, which is a big night for us. It’s not a yes, it’s not a no!”
