Newcastle United are reportedly demanding over £150 million from Arsenal to sell Alexander Isak this summer.
Following a narrow miss for the Premier League title on the final day, Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his squad during the summer transfer window.
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Arsenal is seeking a new central striker, with Isak, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres, and Brentford’s Ivan Toney on their radar.
However, The Telegraph reports that Newcastle have no intention of selling Isak this summer, as Eddie Howe views the Swedish international as crucial to the team’s future plans.
Newcastle have dismissed the idea of accepting a £90m offer for Isak, suggesting that Arsenal would need to double that amount to start discussions.
Additionally, Newcastle are prepared to persuade Isak to remain at St James’ Park if Arsenal makes a move. Last month, when asked about his future, Isak did not indicate any desire to join Arsenal this summer.
‘Yeah, of course I want to be here in the future,’ Isak said.
‘I came here for the project, I absolutely love playing here, I really feel at home. I want to finish this season in a good way for me and the team. I love playing here.’
Meanwhile, Howe acknowledges that the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules have significantly influenced Newcastle’s transfer strategy.
This financial pressure led the club to sell Allan Saint-Maximin to Al-Ahli for approximately £30 million last summer.
‘Financial Fair Play was hitting is, so we had to lose Maxi at that moment, and I think it was probably his time to leave, for him as well,’ Howe said on The Overlap earlier this month.
‘Then of course you’re looking to replace a player that was a difference-maker, you could never go like-for-like, I don’t know another Allan Saint-Maximin with his qualities, so you have to find someone different – Anthony [Gordon].
‘That’s probably where we are, we’re recruiting players at the moment that are up and coming, who haven’t hit their best levels yet, trying to get them early and develop them and grow into those players.’
