Arsenal appear to be serious about spending this summer, and they may be bullish in the market.
Recent reports suggest that the Gunners are considering paying up for Real Sociedad striker, Alexander Isak.
According to AS in Spain, who appear to reference an article from The Athletic, Arsenal are willing to meet the release clause of Isak, which is set at 70million euros (£60million). They are said to be seeking an understanding from the player and his representatives about whether Isak would be interested in a move to Arsenal, before triggering such a clause.
Paying release clauses isn’t something we’ve traditionally seen from Arsenal, but it was the case last summer when they signed Thomas Partey.
A move for Isak, or any striker this window, is likely to be dependent on whether or not Arsenal manage to sell Alexandre Lacazette. The Frenchman has currently just one-year left on his deal and with both him and Aubameyang now in their 30’s, a young 21-year-old gifted striker like Isak would make a lot of sense as a replacement.
Isak was crowned La Liga Young Player of the Year after netting 17 goals in La Liga last season.
It seems Arsenal’s main competition to sign Isak will come from Real Madrid. The La Liga runners-up appear to view Isak as a cheaper alternative to Mbappe or Haaland. As good as Isak is, he is not on the same level as Haaland or Mbappe though and so Madrid will probably still have ambitions to aim for that top tier of player.
Isak stands at 6ft 4’ but he has brilliant pace and dribbling attributes for a man of his size. They make him a real problem to handle for defences. The Swedish striker is currently starring at Euro 2020, where he is yet to score, but he has impressed in his all round play throughout the tournament, something Mikel Arteta demands from his striker.