Who is Alexander Isak? The super Swede interesting Arsenal and Chelsea

Martin Macdonald

• 3 Jan 2022 12:36 CST
• 4 min read

Alexander Isak is a young forward tipped for greatest, coming up on the blindside of more high-profile stars like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

The Real Sociedad striker has quickly turned his career around in Spain after a tricky start at Borussia Dortmund and is now attracting interest from some of the continent’s biggest clubs.

For now, Isak seems perfectly content scoring goals for fun in La Liga, but what does the future hold for the 22-year-old striker?

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What position does Alexander Isak play in?

Isak plays as an out-and-out centre-forward.

He primarily plays as a poacher but could also be classed as a mobile striker, too.

How good is Alexander Isak?

The young Swede burst onto the scene at AIK in his homeland, where he scored five goals in just 12 league games. It wasn’t long before Dortmund came calling, but his first big break perhaps came a little too soon; after just five Bundesliga appearances and no goals, and despite an incredibly successful loan at Willem II in Holland during 2018/19, Isak joined La Real.

His career has utterly thrived in San Sebastian, where he scored 38 goals in his first 100 appearances. His height, power and technique have blended together in the way many predicted, and he could be set for a move to another elite side in the future.

At international level, he is recognised as the future of Swedish football and the attacking heir to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

BBC Sport presenter Gary Lineker famously tipped Isak for big things following his performance at Euro 2020 with Sweden, to which the player responded that he didn't know who Lineker was!

What clubs are interested in Alexander Isak?

Throughout his short career, Isak has been linked with many clubs at different points.

During the summer, he was linked with Barcelona after being one of the best young players in La Liga in 2020/21, though the Blaugrana were not in a financial position to make any significant bids.

He was mentioned as an alternative to Haaland when Chelsea were looking for a new forward, but they sought Romelu Lukaku instead.

Now, Arsenal are leading the way for his signature as a potential replacement for Alexandre Lacazette for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gunners have consistently been linked with the forward since the summer of 2021, with the rumours reunited in January 2022.

Isak did have a clause in his contract that would allow Dortmund to buy him back for €30 million, but Real Sociedad have bought that out.

After that happened, he signed a long-term deal to remain with the Basque side.

However, it does seem as though Isak's long-term future may lie in England, with the young player suggesting as much in an interview with the Independent.

"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," said the Sweden international.

"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.”

When does Alexander Isak’s contract expire?

Isak's contract with Real Sociedad lasts until 2026.

How old is Alexander Isak?

Isak was born on 21 September 1999, making him 21-years-old.

What is Alexander Isak's height?

Isak is 6ft 2in tall.

What is Alexander Isak's Instagram?

Isak's Instagram has 435k followers as of September 2021.