---
title: "Newcastle: Alexander Isak shortlisted"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-alexander-isak-shortlisted/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Newcastle United News"
published: "2022-06-28T20:15:27Z"
modified: "2022-06-28T20:15:27Z"
---

# Newcastle: Alexander Isak shortlisted

**Alexander Isak is on Newcastle United’s radar, according to [The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10956505/Sven-Botman-travels-Newcastle-undergo-medical-ahead-31m-transfer-Lille.html).**

### The lowdown

Newcastle had hoped to sign young striker Hugo Ekitike from Reims after agreeing a £25million deal.

But that move is thought to be all but dead after the Magpies were hit with ‘[ridiculous](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10956505/Sven-Botman-travels-Newcastle-undergo-medical-ahead-31m-transfer-Lille.html)‘ demands by the player’s agent.

Real Sociedad’s Isak, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, is still fairly young himself at 22. The centre-forward signed a new contract last summer that [runs until 2026](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/alexander-isak/profil/spieler/349066) and contains a [£77million](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-transfer-isak-release-clause-26122579) release clause.

### The latest

Newcastle are now ready to move onto other targets after losing patience with Ekitike’s camp.

Isak is [one of the players that the club’s recruitment department have considered](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10956505/Sven-Botman-travels-Newcastle-undergo-medical-ahead-31m-transfer-Lille.html), alongside Chelsea forward Armando Broja and Italy number nine Gianluca Scamacca.

However, a fee of more than £40million is likely to be ‘prohibitive’ given that Newcastle are operating under Financial Fair Play constraints.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”398104″\]

### The verdict

You can see why Newcastle are interested in Isak. He reached double figures for goals last season (ten), taking him to [43 in 128 appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/alexander-isak/leistungsdaten/spieler/349066) overall for Sociedad.

But he offers more than just end-product. He’s also effective when it comes to running with the ball, ranking in the 95th percentile among positional peers for dribbles completed and the 77th for progressive carries (via [FBRef](https://fbref.com/en/players/8e92be30/Alexander-Isak)).

He’s of [a similar mould](https://fbref.com/en/players/8e92be30/Alexander-Isak) to the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Dusan Vlahovic, a quick and powerful forward with deceptively good feet.

Isak impressed the watching world at the European Championships last summer, with Gary Lineker calling the Sweden forward an [‘exceptional talent’](https://www.rousingthekop.com/2021/06/19/exceptional-liverpool-linked-alexander-isak-impresses-gary-lineker/).

Perhaps they might stick with Callum Wilson and Chris Wood as their no. 9 options for the moment and revisit Isak in a future window, when the price tag has hopefully dropped well below the initial release clause.