Paul Merson has urged Arsenal to make a move for Harry Kane in the summer over their other target, namely Alexander Isak.
Arsenal are in the market for a new striker ahead of the summer, as they failed to get one in the winter transfer window despite the many injuries they have to their attackers. For a long time, Mikel Arteta has desired a top-draw centre-forward capable of getting 20-30 goals in a season, and so far, he has failed to sign a player of that profile.
Alexander Isak remains Arteta’s priority target ahead of next season, but Newcastle United are set to demand a mammoth asking price for the Swede. While it is not out of the question for Arsenal to pay big money for their desired targets, there will be questions if they decide to do so.
Other than Isak, Arsenal has a few more names on their list, including Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig and Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa. They failed with a bid for the latter, although the Gunners are expected to bid again for the England international in the summer. In any case, unlike Isak and Sesko, Watkins is not seen as their top priority.
Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has thrown a new name into the mix, as the Sky Sports pundit urged the club to make a move for former Tottenham striker Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich. His comments on Give Me Sport urged the Gunners to trigger a release clause in the England captain’s contract and make a move for him over other targets like Isak.
Merson said, “I keep on saying Isak. I mean, there’s not a lot around. I’d go Harry Kane, I’d pay the £60 million for Harry Kane. 100%. He’s got that clause ain’t he. If he wins the league as he should win the league with Bayern Munich, when he does that, I’d think that’s it.”
“If he thinks he can come back and beat Shearer’s record, I don’t see the point in coming back to Tottenham. There’s no point coming back to Tottenham to make him have a chance of beating that. I don’t think he’ll have as much chance of beating that at Tottenham as he would at Arsenal.”
Kane made the move from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 after spending his whole career at Tottenham. He has continued his goalscoring form with the Bavarians but was unfortunate to have continued his trophyless drought during his first season in Germany.
The Englishman is on course to win the Bundesliga this season and advance in the UEFA Champions League. However, some questions are asked about his long-term future with the Bavarians, as recent reports have mentioned a possible release clause in his contract, rumoured to be in the region of £60 million.
Now, the question is whether Arsenal are willing to trigger that clause on a player who will be 32 when the next season starts. There are no doubts about the quality Kane will bring to the frontline, as he is the kind of striker that will guarantee 20-30 goals every season. The bigger question is whether Kane is ready to burn the bridges with their boyhood club, Tottenham, to make the switch to their bitter rivals across north London.
While recruiting Kane should be considered, Arsenal must consider the prospect of signing Kane, mainly if they are open to investing a similar amount in Watkins, who is only a couple of years younger. Such a move would be a dream scenario, one that will propel the Gunners into becoming title favourites next season.
