Arsenal can forget Toney & Osimhen by signing £86m star who’s like Thierry

It doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to work out that during the January transfer window Arsenal need to sign a centre forward.

To say the entire campaign has been a concern for the Gunners would be wrong. On Christmas Day they sat top of the league but with the new year now here, they sit in fourth place.

Mikel Arteta’s men have only won one of their last five Premier League games and a big part of that has been their sorry record in the opposition’s penalty area.

Indeed, over their last three encounters in all competitions, 61 shots have been taken, only resulting in one goal.

Whether it’s now or in the summer, acquiring a prized striker in the transfer market is a great necessity. They simply can’t adequately challenge for the title without one.

Strikers Arsenal could sign

At the top of the pile has been Brentford forward Ivan Toney with Miguel Delaney of the Independent reporting just before the window got underway that the north Londoners “want” to do a deal. However, with a reported asking price in the region of £100m, it doesn’t seem entirely feasible, not now at least.

The same could be said of another mega-money target in Victor Osimhen. At the moment, a £120m release clause is attached to the prolific Nigerian so a deal doesn’t seem realistic for him until the summer.

They could turn their attention again to Alexander Isak. That’s per a report from Football Transfers who claim the Emirates Stadium outfit are ‘huge admirers’ of the Newcastle attacker.

They are expressing a keen interest in securing the Swede, a player valued at a whopping £86m via CIES Football Observatory.

Edu and Co were initially appealed by the idea of signing the 24-year-old in the summer of 2022 but decided not to after concerns regarding a release clause. Isak went on to sign for Newcastle instead.

How Isak compares to Toney and Osimhen

What might concern Arsenal supporters is just how prolific Isak has been in his career to date. Before joining Newcastle, in the 2021/22 campaign, the Sweden international had only fired home ten goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.

Perhaps that was another reason for not signing him 18 months ago. Nonetheless, he’s adapted well to life in English football, bagging 24 goals in 50 games for the Magpies, 14 of which have come in 23 outings during the current season.

It would appear that he is getting better all the time and we all know how much Arteta likes signing players from Premier League clubs. It’s been a hugely successful tactic since he arrived in the dugout in N5. Just think Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale and Co.

It’s likely it would take an enormous fee to prise the 6 foot 4 striker away from St James’ Park, but despite not quite boasting the prolific nature of Toney and Osimhen yet, he does offer qualities that would appeal to Arsenal supporters.

Subsequently, it likely comes down to what type of forward Arsenal want in their squad. If they want someone who’s going to hold the play up, then Toney with his aerial prowess would be the wise choice. If they want an out-and-out scorer, Osimhen is your man, and if they seek a more unpredictable force who can beat players, Isak with his impressive carrying numbers looks like a smart bet.

How Isak compares to Thierry Henry

Perhaps the tipping point could well be Isak’s similarities to a certain Thierry Henry. Yes, you read that right, the Swede has notoriously been compared to Arsenal’s club record goal-scorer.

That likeliness was talked about a great deal after a remarkable assist by the Newcastle star against Everton last season, darting down the left like Henry used to do before playing the ball across the box.

Speaking after the game, the Toon’s manager Eddie Howe said: “I can see the comparisons with Henry. Everyone is different, there’s no two players the same, but I think he has some of the characteristics that Thierry had. He’s certainly got the speed and is a similar build and frame.

“The footwork for the assist against Everton was truly remarkable really. The amount of turns and twists and step-overs he did, an incredible piece of skill. He has incredible ball manipulation.”

He wasn’t the only one to mutter such a comparison with Jacob Whitehead of the Athletic declaring that his involvement in that mesmeric goal was “shades of Henry.”

Of course, Isak doesn’t quite have the same clinical nature to his game yet, but the skillset is certainly there. Able to play from the left-hand side in a way Gabriel Jesus also offers to Arsenal right now, the Newcastle striker’s range of attributes could well make him a perfect fit for the Gunners. It’s over to you Edu.