Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has urged Mikel Arteta to buy Alexander Isak this summer, comparing the Newcastle striker to club legend Thierry Henry. The Gunners could do with the guile and exquisite finishing of Henry – their all-time leading goalscorer – as they look to close the gap on this season's runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool. Their need for firepower in the forward positions, specifically in the form of a clinical No. 9, is no secret.
Despite Arteta voicing his frustration at the lack of options in his forward line, the north London club’s hierarchy decided against signing a striker in January, after their £60million bid for Ollie Watkins fell short of Aston Villa’s £80m valuation. Part of the reason was that Arsenal’s two main targets – Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko – were not available under any circumstances during the mid-season transfer window. And while Isak is claimed to have a £150m price-tag stamped on him by Newcastle, former Gunners midfielder Parlour believes Arsenal should go all out to bring him – rather than Sesko and Watkins – to the Emirates Stadium this summer.
When asked who his dream summer signing was, Parlour exclusively told Mirror Football, via NetBet Sports Betting: “It’s got to be Isak, hasn’t it? They do need a striker. He is Thierry Henry-esque. I really like his movement. “If you watch him off the ball as well, he works hard. That’s what Mikel will demand from any striker. You can’t just be up there and get service and score. He will be the dream signing, but whether they can get him is another matter.”.
Despite preserving funds in January, the signing of Isak will certainly be difficult to pull off for interim sporting director Jason Ayto, managing director Richard Garlick and Arteta. The 25-year-old Swede is under contract until 2028, with the Magpies working to tie him down to another new deal. An incredible season has seen him score 19 goals and notch five assists so far. Two of those have come against the Gunners, with Isak tormenting defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes while knocking Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
After the second-leg defeat at St James’ Park last week, where he had a goal chalked off for offside, even the tight-lipped Arteta was unable to hide his admiration. The Spaniard said in his post-match interview: "I’m not here to evaluate opposition players but it’s clear that he had two actions to finish and you know what happened.". But Isak is not the only striker Arsenal have on their radar. The aforementioned Sesko, 21, has been identified as a serious target, with the Slovenian fitting Arteta’s ideal profile of a young, fast and clinical striker with aerial proficiency.
Sesko, who has 15 goals this season, is potentially a more realistic target than Isak given that he still has room to grow, rather than already being regarded as one of the world’s top strikers. Arsenal missed out on the Leipzig man last summer after he decided to stay in Germany for another year to continue his development, signing a new contract until 2029. His new deal removed the £55m release clause in his previous contract, while some reports claimed Sesko had negotiated a gentleman’s agreement to let him leave for £60m in the summer of 2025. Mirror Football also reported last May that Sesko favours a move to the Gunners.
The Sun, meanwhile, report that Arsenal are also monitoring Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert as an alternative to Isak. The Dutchman has enjoyed a stellar season thus far with 11 goals to his name for the Cherries – including a hat-trick against Newcastle. It is not clear whether Arsenal will return with another bid for Watkins in the summer. While Arteta is known to be a big fan of the 29-year-old Villa frontman, his age is somewhat of a concern compared to their two other primary targets.
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