Some claims have emerged recently stating that Arsenal are interested in Alexander Isak, who wants out of his current club, Newcastle. The Swedish striker’s transfer saga has been the hot topic of this transfer window. Now, claims suggest that Arsenal are willing to place themselves in the saga.
Alexander Isak moved to Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022, on a deal worth €70 million. He arrived as a promising young striker, but quickly solidified himself as a world-class striker with the Toons. Now, as one of the most valuable players in the world, he wants out of Newcastle, with Liverpool being the only club in contention to sign him. However, we are now at a grim situation. Isak desperately wants out, while Newcastle aren’t willing to let him leave. The only way Newcastle would accept his departure is if they get a bid of around €175 million.
While Isak finds himself in this situation, some reports suggest that Arsenal will be giving Liverpool competition for his signing.
Arsenal interested in Isak?
The strongest links currently have been Isak to Liverpool. So far, it’s been all but confirmed that Isak will either end up in Merseyside or stay at Newcastle. However, Arsenal were originally one of the strongest linked teams in Isak’s case. The Gunners were said to be pursuing the Swedish forward back in 2024, but backed out as the summer window came to a close. Now, though, some links have reappeared. Journalists have reported that Arsenal are planning to “hijack” the Isak deal from Liverpool.
Is there any truth to these links? Well, the North London club has completely rejected these claims. They made it clear that no such “hijack” is going to take place, and have put an end to any such links.
Moreover, Arsenal are in no position to afford such an expensive signing. The club has already gone past €200 million in spending this summer. They’ve invested in Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke this summer, while Eberechi Eze will also shortly arrive. The club is looking to sell its fringe players to avoid PSR compliance issues. Signing Isak for upwards of €175 million would be unrealistic in such a scenario.
What now for Isak?
Isak is in a sticky situation. His recent open message to the club did not go down well with the club. His claims of broken promises have angered the board, who’re now even more firm with their decision to not budge, when it comes to their asking price. The Magpies’ dressing room is reportedly in pieces due to this issue.
The worst-case scenario for the 25-year-old would be his staying at the club while not playing for them, due to the reportedly irreparable ties between him and the management. Unfortunately for him, this is a very realistic situation. At this point, the only way he can get out of this pickle is if Liverpool makes a strong enough bid in the coming days for Newcastle to let him leave.
How did it get to this point?
On first glance, we may put some blame on the player for this situation. For someone so sure about not wanting to stay, he made his intentions open to the public after Liverpool stole Hugo Ekitike from Newcastle, which was a bit too late.
However, Isak stated that he held talks with the club long before this mess, making his intentions clear to them internally. This was confirmed by Eddie Howe in a recent press-meet.
🗣️ Eddie Howe on whether Alexander Isak told him he wanted to leave two weeks before the end of the season. "Me and Alex had conversations towards the end of the season. Yes, I am not going to sit here and deny that. Yes, we had discussions about his future." pic.twitter.com/58qfxiNlcC
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 22, 2025
This fact being true, would place the blame on the club for not keeping their word with the player, and for the way they handled this situation.