Newcastle were beaten by Manchester City as both Arsenal and Liverpool were left grimacing at a late Oscar Bobb goal which secured all three points in one of the league's trickiest environments. The Magpies had looked to be on the way to a famous victory many thanks in part to a glorious strike by Alexander Isak.
The Swede has transitioned seamlessly to the Premier League and has been a leading figure for Eddie Howe’s side when available. He was once linked with a move to the Gunners whilst with Real Sociedad but the £70million-plus release clause proved to be too steep of a price for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Since moving to the north east, however, Arsenal have shown a greater willingness to spend big money on players like Declan Rice. Newcastle might be mad to sell Isak but due to Profit and Sustainability pressures, there are of course reasons that might advocate a sale.
Isak's work this season and Arsenal’s own needs at centre-forward have emerged at a time when the north London side might look to take advantage of the situation. Despite spending big, Newcastle are adamant they wish to maintain a good record regarding the rules.
«We're compliant in the year we're talking about here and our plans are always to be compliant going forwards,» said Darren Eales, Newcastle's CEO. «That is part of our business plan and part of our model.»
Eales was asked whether every player had a price to which he simply said, «correct». It therefore begs the question what Arsenal might have to part with to land Isak who looks to be perhaps a better option than another target, Ivan Toney.
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