Arsenal told price needed to seal deal for ‘elegant’ striker who is billed next Thierry Henry

A pundit has endorsed Alexander Isak leaving Newcastle United in a deal worth around £100m (€120m, $124.6m), with the striker compared to Thierry Henry as Arsenal look to engineer a stunning deal.

Isak has been in brilliant form again this season, having netted 19 goals in 27 matches across all competitions so far. The centre-forward helped Newcastle beat Arsenal in the Premier League back in November, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win for Eddie Howe’s side, while he also found the back of the net in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final triumph over the Gunners.

Arsenal chiefs will likely be fed up of seeing Isak score against them and run their defenders ragged, especially as they dream of making the Sweden ace Mikel Arteta’s new No 9.

Arsenal may have tried to sign Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins this season, but Isak is generally considered to be their dream target who can take them to Premier League and Champions League glory.

But Arsenal will need to spend big to sign Isak, with Newcastle valuing their star player at far more than £100m, potentially as high as £150m (€180m / $186.8m).

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has now given his verdict on Isak’s big next move amid strong links with Arsenal, comparing the 25-year-old to Gunners icon Henry.

“He’s got that elegance, that’s what people associate with Henry, he’s got a long way to go to be in the same space as Henry,” Jordan said on talkSPORT.

“But he is a player, and he’s going to become a really good player, he exudes class and threat, he’s a handful.

“He made those two Arsenal centre-backs have a very disconcerting evening.”

When asked about Isak’s huge value, Jordan continued: “There’s two factors to it, there’s the club that’s bidding for him, and how complicit the player suddenly becomes in an interest of leaving Newcastle, because that will alter the price point.

“If suddenly someone out of the ether, that Isak really thinks is a better opportunity…

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Isak has ‘God-like status’ at Newcastle – pundit

“With all due respect to Newcastle, whilst it’s a brilliant football club, whilst he’s playing up there and enjoying himself, and he’s been absolutely given a God-like status, there are bigger football clubs than Newcastle United on achievement terms.

“If one of those pops out of the ether and says, ‘We’ll have you’, then that goes into the equation because someone would say, ‘Well that means they’d have to pay the price.’

“Then the player comes to the party and starts suggesting to the club that he’s playing for that, ‘Actually, I would like to go.’

“It has a sort of a deflationary perspective on the transfer fee but in this day and age, [Erling] Haaland was an outlier because there was a contractual release clause in there, £55million.

“If they [Manchester City] had to buy Haaland in an open market, he’d have been north of £100m.

“Whilst I hate those numbers and don’t think anyone’s worth that kind of money, by the metrics of what they’re paying players in this day and age, Isak is probably north of £100m.”

Arsenal will need to stretch their finances this summer if they are to snare Isak from Prem rivals Newcastle. Although, sources have informed TEAMtalk that Arsenal are plotting a massive spending spree which could indeed see Isak arrive at the Emirates.

Other top targets include Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Matheus Cunha and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

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Arsenal transfers: Shock Kane verdict; starlet ‘relieved’ he didn’t join

Meanwhile, Paul Merson has surprisingly claimed that modern-day Tottenham Hotspur icon Harry Kane could move to Arsenal.

“He will be going to Arsenal then; Arsenal will buy him,” the pundit said with a smile when asked about Kane’s exit clause.

“£54m, why not? Sol Campbell did. If he is available, Arsenal need now… If Arsenal have not won the league, you have got to take a chance, buy someone who is proven. I would not be surprised.”

Arsenal held talks to sign Rosenborg wonderkid Sverre Nypan in January but could not strike an agreement.

As per GiveMeSport, the midfielder is ‘relieved’ he did not join Arsenal as he now has six extra months to think about his future.

Nypan’s contract expires in 2026 and he is looking to join a top club at some stage in the near future.

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