Arsenal News: The Gunners have been chasing strikers throughout the January transfer window. But it looks like even Alexander Isak is unlikely to join the North London club as he has made his priorities clear.
Mikel Arteta currently has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Edward Nketiah, and Alexandre Lacazette in his squad. But all the mentioned strikers are out of form and look likely to leave the club by the summer.
To add to this, former captain Aubameyang has had a fallout with Mikel Arteta after a disciplinary problem. Owing to this, the striker has been banned from even training with the squad. Aubameyang last featured in a match for Arsenal on 6th December against Everton.
Arsenal targeted Dusan Vlahovic throughout the January transfer window. But the Serbian ultimately chose to sign for Juventus over the Gunners. Hence, the North London side is desperate to sign an alternative in the last few days.
Arsenal News: What are Alexander Isak’s priorities?
As per Express UK, the Gunners have encountered a problem in their pursuit of Alexander Isak. Owing to this, the North London side could miss out on the striker in January.
According to reports, Alexander Isak has put forward a priority about his next destination. The Swedish striker only wants to go to a club that can offer him UEFA Champions League football. And Isak would not settle for anything less.
This is a cause of concern for the Gunners who are currently in sixth place in the Premier League. Arsenal have not qualified for the Champions League for the past few seasons. And to add to this, they can’t guarantee qualification this term as well.
The top three Premier League spots have been comfortably occupied by Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, respectively. Hence the Gunners will have to fight it out with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United for fourth place.
To add to this, Alexander Isak’s current employers, Real Sociedad, are unwilling to let the forward leave in January. Sociedad themselves are looking to seal a top-4 berth in LaLiga. Hence, they are not interested to see their star striker leave.
Even if they sell the striker, Real Sociedad are reportedly looking for something around the €100m-mark as per reports. Hence Arsenal would have to pay a hefty amount to sign the 22-year-old.
Will Arsenal sign a striker in January?
With just three days remaining, it looks highly unlikely that the Gunners will be able to sign a striker in January. Dusan Vlahovic and Alexander Isak were Arsenal’s top priorities. But both have snubbed the Gunners.
Hence, it would be best for Mikel Arteta to put his differences aside with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese international does possess quality and could surely help Arsenal if given a chance again.
