One goal. Just one goal. That was the difference between Alexander Isak’s league tally across 2021/22, and that of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Six for Isak. Five for the injury-hit Calvert-Lewin. A statistic that doesn’t reflect particularly well on the Sweden international when you consider he played 31 games last season, almost double ‘DCL’s tally.
What’s more, while Everton spent much of the campaign circling the plughole, Real Sociedad were flying high at the opposite end of the table. The side from San Sebastian eventually finished a more-than respectable sixth.
But while Newcastle United appear to have backed away from Calvert-Lewin – Everton’s eye-watering asking price doing the trick as far as Frank Lampard is concerned – The Magpies don’t appear to have similar reservations about Isak. Or, if they do, they are willing to overlook those nagging doubts in favour of a marquee signing that would make the rest of the Premier League sit up and take notice.
According to The Telegraph, the Newcastle bosses have come to the conclusion that Isak would be the ‘ideal’ addition to Eddie Howe’s attack. A club-record bid is reportedly in the pipeline. One that would take an almighty, £50 million-plus bite out of Howe’s remaining transfer budget, leaving just the crusts remaining.
Will Alexander Isak become Newcastle United’s record signing?
Now, no one is questioning Isak’s talent. And certainly not his potential.
Athletic and explosive, Isak has scored goals at a reliable rate in the past. And it was he who injected some fun into an otherwise flat Sweden side at Euro 2020, labelled ‘exceptional’ by Gary Lineker and ‘magnificent’ by Alan Shearer. Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have all been linked over the last 12 months.
But perhaps La Liga expert Terry Gibson said it best. And he should know. Few have watched Isak closer than Gibson has.
“His all-round play is good but he needs to be banging in (more goals). For him to be talking about going to a ‘next level’ club, he needs to be scoring 15-20 a season,” the former Tottenham and Man United forward told El Tel and Jon’s La Liga weekly podcast in February, at which point Isak had just four goals to his name.
“It is important. If you’re looking to sign a striker for a lot of money, you’re gonna look at that column that says ‘four goals’.
“There’s no doubt he’s got the talent. He’s got the potential. But the most important thing for a centre-forward is the goals’ column, to give you any chance of taking your team to the next level or you moving onto a Champions League team for £50 million or so.
“Four goals isn’t sufficient.”
Newcastle’s new ownership group have played things rather sensibly since taking over from Mike Ashley. Of their seven signings thus far, five arrived with Premier League experience under their belts.
But investing nearly every penny of your summer budget in a striker who scored just five goals in 31 league games last season? Just two more than the centre-forward-turned-midfielder Joelinton?
Well, at least Newcastle have the ambition and the financial muscle to consider taking such expensive risks these days.
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