Real Sociedad's Alexander Isak would be Newcastle United's dream signing, according to a report from The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown

With nearly a third of the January transfer window gone, Newcastle have made one addition, recruiting Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for £12m.

Currently 19th in the Premier League, the Magpies were dealt another blow in their battle to survive in the top flight with the news that Callum Wilson would be out of action for eight weeks through injury.

The 29-year-old is the team's top scorer with six goals and Howe felt that his side were desperately in need of 'a focal point' in their shock FA Cup defeat to League One side Cambridge United on Saturday.

The latest

The Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones sets out Howe's January wish list - two centre-backs, two strikers, a left-back and a midfielder.

Isak sits at the top of the list of centre-forward targets and would be an 'ideal addition' for the Magpies.

He is also said to be attracting interest from Champions League-chasing Arsenal, but Jones casts doubt about the possibility of recruiting him this month 'with time pressing'.

The verdict

A player of Isak's calibre would surely solve Newcastle's problems in front of goal. Since joining Real Sociedad in 2019, he has scored 30 goals in 59 La Liga starts.

The Sweden forward has been described as a 'unicorn' by The Athletic's Carl Anka, namely a player with a skill set so expansive that he 'shouldn't really exist'. The journalist noted Isak's pace and strength, along with his ability to play with his back to goal and press from the front. In addition, he can use 'skill-based moves' to bypass defenders and employ 'a handful of shooting techniques'.

When you also consider that he's just 22 years old, it's no surprise that Newcastle covet him, but the big problem is his €70m (£58.4m) release clause. That would consume the vast majority of Newcastle's £100m January budget, and the aforementioned wish list is lengthy, so this could be a difficult one to pull off over the coming weeks.

In other news, Chris Waugh had this to say about Newcastle's defensive transfer targets