The 22-year-old Sweden international is the latest striker to be touted with a move to north London following a reported breakdown in the Gunners pursuit of Dusan Vlahovic
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Arteta gives update on Arsenal’s transfer plans ahead of Deadline Day
Arsenal’s efforts to sign Dusan Vlahovic before the end of the January transfer window appear to be all but over and as a result the Gunners have already turned their attention elsewhere.
The two alternative candidates to take on the goal-scoring burden at the Emirates are rumoured to be Everton’sDominic Calvert-Lewin and Real Sociedad’sAlexander Isak.
The former is of course a familiar face for viewers of Premier League football, with Calvert-Lewin regularly among the goals at Goodison Park when fit.
Isak may be a more unknown candidate to some given he plies his trade in La Liga with the ‘White and Blues’, but he is by no means a target that should be scoffed at.
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In terms of non-penalty goals, only superstars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have bagged more than Isak since the start of the 2019/20 season with the Sweden international finding the net 40 times – none coming from the spot.
The lanky striker has not quite hit stratospheric levels of goal-scoring this term with just eight in 25 appearances so far, but his overall record of goal contributions since arriving in San Sebastian is far more promising.
41 goals and seven assists in 114 matches makes for welcome reading for Arsenal fans reading up on a young man who could be leading the line in the red half of north London for years to come.
If he does put pen to paper on a move to Arsenal, he’ll already have one familiar face in the dressing room in the form of playmaker Martin Odegaard.
The pair enjoyed an entire season together while the Norwegian midfielder was on loan from fellow La Liga outfit Real Madrid – a campaign that saw a remarkable return from both of them.
With Odegaard supplying him, Isak scored 16 goals across all competitions and in turn helped inspire the club to Copa del Rey glory for just the third time in the club’s history.
The pair have undeniable chemistry on the pitch, Odegaard assisting a number of Isak’s strikes while also notching four himself.
Arsenal’s mercurial midfielder has previously discussed how the pair became the best of friends during their shared time in Spain and the Gunners would welcome the idea of the duo recapturing the kind of form they displayed at Sociedad together.
In recent weeks, Odegaard has been head and shoulders above the rest of his teammates but has had very little to aim at in terms of chance creation.
The fact the Norway skipper is already familiar with Isak’s playing style is surely a bonus in the eyes of Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.
Isak may have already endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful after recently confessing he idolised Gunners icon Thierry Henry while growing up.
The Swede has also previously admitted he would like to try his hand in the Premier League one day.
“I am in a good place at the moment, I am very happy, but one day it would be nice to play in England as well,” he recently told The Independent.
“They have six or seven of the biggest clubs in the world, it is a very high level, and of course one day it would be an alternative.
“Every player wants to be the best version of themselves and reach the highest possible level.
“I have expectations for myself that I’m trying to fulfil, so we’ll see where the journey takes me in future.”
The next few days will determine whether that journey takes him to north London or not.
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