How Arsenal can make up for Isak failures by signing his CLONE

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 13 Feb 2025 23:37 GMT
• 4 min read

Arsenal might be dreaming of Alexander Isak this summer but the Gunners could make up for past failures by sealing a transfer for the player who could have been fulfilling his destiny in the Premier League.

The Gunners rejected the chance to sign Isak in January 2022 and the Swedish striker ultimately joined Newcastle for €70 million six months later, where he has since established himself as one of the most coveted players in world football.

Isak’s value has now doubled at Newcastle and effectively ended Arsenal’s chances of signing the Swede, leaving Mikel Arteta’s side wondering how different their fortunes could have been had they gambled on his €90m release clause at Real Sociedad.

But the fortunes could also have been different for Isak and Newcastle had they not taken a leap of faith, with the forward only joining the Magpies mid-way through the summer transfer window after they had twice been rejected by their initial top target.

Newcastle had heavily pursued Hugo Ekitike after their Saudi takeover in 2021 but the French forward was unconvinced by a move to St James’ Park and opted to join Paris Saint-Germain after a breakout season with Reims, leading to Isak’s purchase instead.

Compared

Hugo Ekitiké

F (C)

E. Frankfurt

Hugo Ekitiké

F (C)

E. Frankfurt

VS

Alexander Isak

F (C)

Newcastle Utd.

Alexander Isak

F (C)

Newcastle Utd.

2024/2025

Season Statistics

2024/2025

31	Appearances	32
17	Goals	23
6	Assists	6
2245	Minutes Played	2569
42	Key Passes	56
94	Shots Total	98

Despite two years of stagnation at PSG, Ekitike is finally showcasing why Newcastle eyed him over Isak and the 22-year-old may be the perfect opportunity for Arsenal to also erase any regrets over previous transfer decisions.

Why Ekitike can emulate Isak’s success in the Premier League

Ekitike attracted attention as a 6 foot 3 inch teenager at Reims where he drew comparisons to Kylian Mbappe after netting ten goals in 24 Ligue 1 games in his first full season in 2021/22.

His form prompted Newcastle to identify him as one of their potential marquee signings under their new regime but, with the Magpies sitting in the Premier League relegation zone at the time, Ekitike opted to remain with Reims until the summer despite an offer being accepted by his club.

Following Newcastle’s survival from relegation that season, they returned for Ekitike in the summer but the Frenchman again turned them down for PSG, whom he joined on loan with an obligation to buy for €35m.

Ekitike’s time in Paris, however, was miserable and he made just 12 league starts in 18 months, scoring three times and eventually going on loan to Frankfurt in February 2024, with the move becoming permanent for €16.5m last summer.

And, having finally found a home in Germany, the stability has led to Ekitike netting 12 times in 20 Bundesliga games this season, leading to speculation already over his future.

Frankfurt are in no rush to sell their new talisman and have reportedly placed a pricetag of more than €60m on Ekitike, having raised €170m from the sales of Omar Marmoush and Randal Kolo Muani in recent years.

Compared

Alexander Isak

F (C)

Newcastle Utd.

Alexander Isak

F (C)

Newcastle Utd.

VS

Hugo Ekitiké

F (C)

E. Frankfurt

Hugo Ekitiké

F (C)

E. Frankfurt

Alexander Isak

Hugo Ekitiké

Ekitike’s stature and profile is similar to Isak and their careers have also somewhat mirrored each others, and he is now at a similar point to when the Newcastle striker made his move to England.

With Arsenal desperate for a physical number nine, Ekitike’s rise, while still a gamble, may also give him the trajectory to emulate Isak and the Gunners could do far worse than beating their rivals to his signing or risk living in regret once again.