BIG, BIG RUMOUR GETTING SPICIER. DO WE BELIEVE?
THE SWEDISH ONE...
Listen, we shouldn’t speak on it… it’s cruel—like eating McDonald’s next to Big Dave at work when he’s on a juice cleanse. But it’s getting harder and harder to walk away from it.
ALEX ISAK TO ARSENAL.
Mikel Arteta’s number one target is Isak—a player we passed on a few years ago after he had a very average season following his breakout year. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say he’s the best striker in the world right now. He takes half-chances like open goals, glides across the pitch, looks totally in control of his game, and struggles against no defender. He’s the only striker I’ve seen get the better of Big Bill and Gabs over the past two years.
The rumor is that his preference is Arsenal—he liked the club as a kid, wears the number 14, and probably understands how good we are and how close we are to being the best team in the world. He is the missing ingredient and has been for three seasons. If Newcastle don’t make the Champions League this summer, he’ll be off. He’s been pretty clear about his intentions to compete for the biggest trophies.
My supposition? Even if Newcastle do qualify for the Champions League, he might agitate for a move. After all, what he’s really saying is that he wants a chance to win those trophies—not just compete. You’re not getting to the promised land with Dan Burn in your back four. It also hasn’t gone unnoticed that Newcastle are in a bit of financial strife. There are rumors that Saudi has bigger priorities, we know they’re up against it with PSR, and they’ve just committed to building a mega new stadium to catch up on revenue.
The question is this: How ready are Arsenal to spend the best part of £120m to reach the summit of world football? How willing are they to put a 25-year-old on £380k a week to bring home that Premier League title?
The only risk with a move like this for Arsenal is twofold:
This is not a resale-value player like Sesko would be.
His injury record isn’t great, as we saw last season when he was playing three games a week for a Newcastle side that tanked.
But if Arteta can manage his fitness, that £120m would be an NFL-style final piece of the jigsaw move.
Well… kind of.
We still need to replace Neto, sign two number sixes, and rebuild the left side of our attack.
Can we do all of that and break our transfer record for a striker? Maybe. But we might need to sell a gem elsewhere. And I’m talking about someone more painful to lose than Martinelli. Yeah, I’m suggesting a Big Gabi-level name.
Would you break up the best defense in the world to sign the best attacker? I’m not so sure.
But looking at his 21 Premier League goals in 30 appearances last season… then his 23 goals in 33 appearances this season… I’m persuaded it could be the move.
I don’t think we’d go wrong with Sesko over a three-year period, but we’d have to rotate him heavily with Kai next season while we get him up to speed. If we could fast-track that, live in the now, and win a big trophy for £50m more… would it be worth it?
Maybe…
Big players will be tied closer to a club with big trophies.
Winners get bigger sponsorship deals.
Winners command higher ticket prices (sry guyz and galz).
Billionaire owners win at most things in life. At some point, should you not just drop a few pennies on something frivolous… like an Alexander Isak?
I’m gassing myself up here like a teenager refreshing NewsNow in the early 2000s.
The story is just too hot right now to ignore. Too many proper people are talking about it. If it’s a choice between Arsenal or Liverpool, then it has to be Arsenal he moves to!
Ok. That’s me done—what do YOU think?
Get on the latest Thursday Therapy below… it’s free. x
How in the ever living fuck is Generational going to deploy Isak? The players just camp around the penalty box, boring the opposition to death. Isak thrives on counter attacking and explosive football. If he had any sense and good advisors around him, he would be told that Liverpool would be the best option for him.
He would be wasting his career winning nothing under Arteta.
If we can get Isak, go for it.
We need someone who can be a serious threat up front. This is literally the missing ingredient.
"But if Arteta can manage his fitness".
Arteta needs to learn this lesson. He destroyed his entire front line this season. I really hope he learns that players do not need hardcore training all the time.
And for my 2 pence on this, a big no to selling Big Gab or Saliba. They are our spine. No way should we be selling these two key players.
Keep' em both and sell off all fringe players, including Martinelli, to fund Isak.
Convert Ethan to LW. This would be the internal solution to selling Martinelli.