Alexander Isak has sent Arsenal and Chelsea the perfect message ahead of the summer transfer window. The 25-year-old striker has been heavily linked with an exit from Newcastle United for a while now as he continues to impress for club and country.
Isak, who sees his contract at St. James’ Park expire in June 2028, has featured 25 times in the Premier League this season, scoring 19 goals and providing five assists. Playing a key role in Eddie Howe’s side, he’s fired the Magpies into the top six.
The Swede also recently led Newcastle to Carabao Cup glory, finding the net against Liverpool in the final at Wembley Stadium. This week, Isak managed to continue his rich vein of form on the international stage, scoring in a 5-1 friendly win over Northern Ireland.
He latched onto a loose pass in the opposition’s half before bending the ball into the far corner. Isak also provided the assist for Sweden’s opener, finding Emil Holm unmarked at the back-post.
With Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca both eager to strengthen their frontlines this summer, the Newcastle talisman has been mooted as a potential target. But, Isak has recently brushed off any suggestion of a move from St. James’ Park.
When quizzed on his future by Swedish publication Fotboll Skanalen, he said: “From within the club and from our side there are absolutely no discussions. It’s just full focus on playing for me.
“There is a lot of writing outside but within the club no one is talking about anything like that. I just want to perform for Newcastle. Now we won the cup, but we want to finish strong and reach the Champions League games.
“It’s pretty normal, pretty much the same as it was before. I do my best to relax and live as usual. But it’s clear that it’s hard to avoid everything that is written on social media.”
In an update to reporters ahead of Newcastle’s defeat to Manchester City last month, Howe revealed his desire to keep Isak at the club. The Magpies boss said: “We have to try and keep our best players.
“That’s crucial to our short-term success and our long-term success, so sitting here as the manager of the football club, I’d be saying we need to keep the group together and we need to add the other way. We haven’t added [to the first team] in a long time in various transfer windows for the reasons we’ve all discussed.”
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher has named Arsenal and Liverpool as the only realistic destinations for Isak this summer. Speaking on ‘It’s Called Soccer‘, the former Reds defender said: “100 per cent I think Isak stays if they qualify for the Champions League, I don’t think they let him go anyway.
“The problem they do have is if they don’t qualify. It doesn’t really matter what happened in the cup final. I think the only two options at the moment would be Arsenal and Liverpool as they’re both sort of crying out for a striker.”
Carragher added: “I just look at how long he’s got left on his deal and the ball is in Newcastle’s court, it’s not really in Isak’s. I think once you get [down] to two years [on the contract], it’s almost a 50-50, no-one wants to allow a player to get down to 12 months.
“Newcastle could keep him for another year and say, ‘We’ll see you then as we’re going to get the same sort of money.’ I don’t think Newcastle gain anything by selling him now, unless they have to.
“And that is why, if Newcastle get into the Champions League, there’s no way Isak is leaving the club. Even if he wants to. I think the club will say, ‘No, do another 12 months and in a year’s time we can make a few quid and you can move on.'”
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- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
