Newcastle United weighing up club-record bid for Alexander Isak

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.

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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.