- 6 hours ago
Arsenal told to pay Mbappe price for top transfer target
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 20 Feb 2025 08:27 GMT
- 3 min read
Newcastle have named the starting point for transfer negotiations over attacker Alexander Isak, who has attracted interest from Arsenal and Liverpool in recent months.
The Magpies expect to battle major interest in Isak again in the summer, with the Sweden international striker having distinguished himself as one of the Premier League’s leading No.9s in recent seasons.
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STATS
Alexander Isak
F (C)
Newcastle Utd.
Alexander Isak
F (C)
Newcastle Utd.
There has been no relent in the form of the 25-year-old hitman this season. He has scored 17 goals and laid on another five in just 23 Premier League outings, making him one of the league’s most desirable strikers.
A scoring record as formidable as this naturally lends itself to a massive asking price and Newcastle have set their stall out not to sell the striker for below €181 million (£150m), according to The Mirror.
Arsenal see Isak as their dream option but more realistically have targeted RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko as their summer priority, having so far been warded off by the demands of their Premier League rivals.
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Isak the most expensive Premier League player ever
Any club matching Newcastle’s asking price would be smashing their transfer record, with just one deal in history having been completed at a higher price – Neymar’s €222m move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017.
The type of money that Eddie Howe’s side are asking for is reminiscent of the move that took Kylian Mbappe to the Parc des Princes side from Monaco, with the Magpies clearly of the opinion that Isak falls into a similar special bracket of player.
The current Premier League transfer record is Chelsea’s €121m purchase of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in January 2023.
Isak’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €76.7m yet Newcastle find themselves in a relatively strong negotiating position when it comes to their star man.
He is locked under contract until 2028 while there are numerous teams seeking a proven Premier League goal scorer, making him something of a unique commodity. This makes it tricky to value such a player, and with Arsenal in particular desperate to add to their attacking options, Newcastle appear well placed to demand exactly what they want for Isak.
