Arsenal are now planning to make an offer for a player who manager Mikel Arteta believes the Gunners absolutely need to have in their squad, with the N5 head coach making his transfer stance crystal clear behind-the-scenes.
Arsenal making pre-summer transfer plans
While Arsenal remain in pursuit of a pre-summer deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who could come in to replace out-of-contract duo Thomas Partey and Jorginho, the north Londoners have also identified summer striker targets.
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The Gunners are making serious advances ahead of the summer.
An array of high-profile centre-forwards – including the likes of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Juventus ace Dušan Vlahović, Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké and even ex-Liverpool talisman Roberto Firmino – have stood out as strikers linked with moves to Arsenal in the last week alone.
Arsenal decided not to press ahead with a forward signing in the January transfer window, with Arteta now dealt a serious shortage in the attacking third, courtesy of injuries to Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
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Arsenal’s next five Premier League games |
Date |
|---|---|
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West Ham (home) |
February 22nd |
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Nottingham Forest (away) |
February 26th |
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Man United (away) |
March 9th |
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Chelsea (home) |
March 16th |
|
Fulham (home) |
April 1st |
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins was subject to a low-ball Arsenal offer in the winter, as per David Ornstein, but Unai Emery’s side rejected it out of hand, and they didn’t come back in with an approach closer to his valuation.
As a result, Arteta is forced to improvise with the current options at his disposal, with midfielder Mikel Merino coming on as an emergency makeshift striker against Leicester City and grabbing a crucial brace in the final 10 minutes of their 2-0 win last weekend.
Arsenal will be determined to ensure that Arteta isn’t left so short in the event of key injuries next term. Newcastle United star Alexander Isak has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium recently as well, but the Magpies could make things very difficult for interested sides to poach their superstar player.
The £120,000-per-week ace boasts 19 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions so far, and some reports suggest that Newcastle could demand a fee in the region of £160 million for Isak, which would make him the second-most expensive signing in history behind Neymar (£198 million).
Arsenal preparing formal bid to sign Newcastle United star Alexander Isak
Nevertheless, Arteta’s side remain very interested. According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are preparing a “formal” bid for Isak this summer, as Arteta is apparently convinced that the Sweden international is their missing link who could take them to the next level.
While Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool are mentioned as other suitors, Arsenal are believed to be the most interested side, but it is unclear just how much they’re willing to pay.
This report states that Newcastle want “at least” £91 million, but discrepancies regarding Isak’s price tag are coming out on an almost daily basis.
One danger for Newcastle is that Isak could push to leave St. James’ Park if they don’t qualify for the Champions League, even if they plan to tie him down with fresh terms to ward off the intense interest in his services.