Ray Parlour says Alexander Isak has ‘got to be’ considered the ‘dream signing’ for Arsenal this summer, likening the striker to club legend Thierry Henry.
Isak, 25, has established himself as one of the most sought-after forwards in world football since arriving in the Premier League from Real Sociedad back in 2022, racking up 54 goals in 94 appearances for Newcastle.
Only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have outscored Isak in the English top flight this season and it’s no secret that the Swede’s performances have attracted strong interest from clubs across Europe.
Arsenal have long been linked with Isak but Eddie Howe has repeatedly underlined that the attacker is not for sale and it would reportedly take a bid in excess of £150million to prise him away from St James’ Park.
The Gunners would likely face competition from Barcelona should they ramp up their pursuit over the coming months, with the Catalan giants identifying Isak as their ‘main objective’ for the summer transfer window.
But legendary ex-Arsenal midfielder Parlour believes his former club have to go all out for Isak if they are to achieve their ambitions going forward under Mikel Arteta.
‘It’s got to be Isak, hasn’t it? They do need a striker,’ Parlour told Mirror Sport.
‘He is Thierry Henry-esque. I really like his movement.
‘If you watch him off the ball as well, he works hard. That’s what Mikel will demand from any striker. You can’t just be up there and get service and score.
‘He will be the dream signing, but whether they can get him is another matter.’
Isak’s current contract with the Magpies runs through to the summer of 2028.
The likes of Isak, Benjamin Sesko, Alvaro Morata and Dusan Vlahovic were all linked before Ollie Watkins became Arsenal’s main focus with the transfer deadline approaching.
But Aston Villa rejected Arsenal’s offer out of hand and the news today that Kai Havertz is set to miss the remainder of the campaign – on top of Gabriel Jesus’ season-ending injury – only adds to the Gunners’ woes.
Earlier this week, Manchester United great Paul Scholes suggested the Sweden international should be aiming for a ‘bigger and better’ club than Arsenal.
‘Everyone loves him but I don’t see a possibility of him going to Arsenal. He needs to go bigger and better,’ Scholes said on the latest episode of The Overlap.
‘We’re talking about Real Madrid here, Liverpool need a centre forward. I think Arsenal would be an option but I think they would be down the list of options.
‘I don’t mean that in a bad way but he’s at Newcastle, a really good team, a brilliant team, but they’re not going to win league titles, that’s the next stage of his career.
‘I think it would be a risk to go to Arsenal and do the same thing. Liverpool have got a much better chance, Man City and Real Madrid the same.
‘I think his sights should be higher than Arsenal. He is a player Man United would be looking at but in the position we’re in now… it’s not going to happen.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
