Keeping Alexander Isak around right up until the early September deadline will have the same buzz as a brand new signing for those at Newcastle United.
It will be a tough few weeks ahead for the Toon as they try and keep a firm grip on their star-man in attack, with Isak potentially having his head turned by a mega-money £200m move to Al-Hilal, away from earlier interest in his coveted services from fellow Premier League outfit Liverpool.
To make matters worse, this chaotic transfer window has also been bumpy – away from Isak eyeing up a move away – when it comes to the amount of failed pursuits the Magpies have had to stomach, with Joao Pedro favouring Chelsea over a St James’ Park switch, on top of any movement for Hugo Ekitike also falling flat.
Still, not all hope is lost that a bold new striker will arrive through the door shortly, as Newcastle prepare to spend big to bolster up top.
Newcastle ready £86m bid for former Premier League striker
After all, Howe and Co. have already flexed their muscles in the hectic transfer market by securing the services of Anthony Elanga for an excessive £55m.
The lavish spending in attack won’t stop there if new reports are anything to go by, with £78m having to be forked out on Newcastle’s end if they want to land RB Leipzig goal machine Benjamin Sesko.
The Slovenian marksman did chip in with 13 Bundesliga strikes last season, meaning he might be a worthwhile investment, but the Toon might well be better off going after ex-Manchester City ace Julian Alvarez instead.
Indeed, wild reports emerging from Spain seem to indicate that Howe’s side are preparing a move for Alvarez if Isak deserts Tyneside this summer, with a fee around the £86m mark potentially enough to win the Atletico Madrid striker, which would send out shockwaves subsequently.
There is also, of course, the long-term target of Yoane Wissa on Newcastle’s radar, but even with the DR Congo international’s goalscoring prowess in the Premier League making him a catch at £50m, Alvarez does seem to represent a more eye-catching signing, especially as the Toon attempt to wrestle back some authority in the unpredictable market.
Why Alvarez is a more exciting signing than Wissa
Picking up the Argentina international could see lightning strike twice on the end of the Magpies, with Newcastle’s last striker addition from La Liga being Isak. Now, the rest is history, as the Swede has a bumper 54 Premier League strikes next to his name.
Alvarez finds himself stuck on 20 strikes in the top-flight after waving goodbye to the Etihad last year, with Wissa having a slight upper-hand here with a heftier 45 efforts in the taxing division, but it’s his exploits away from just the English game that will have caught Newcastle’s eye even more.
In all competitions last season, the skilful £86m “monster” – as he was once labelled by Argentine journalist Pablo Gonzalez – would end up wiping the floor with Wissa, as seen in his spectacular haul of 29 strikes and seven assists leading the line for Diego Simeone’s Rojiblancos.
Amazingly, that’s two more goals than Isak managed across the entirety of last season, as he now ponders a move to the Middle East, whilst also being a whopping 12 goal contributions better off than Wissa’s own tally back at Brentford.
Alvarez’s career numbers by position |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Position played |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
CF |
167 |
86 |
31 |
RW |
49 |
12 |
8 |
SS |
29 |
11 |
8 |
AM |
20 |
8 |
7 |
LW |
6 |
2 |
4 |
LM |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
The ball also remains firmly in the South American’s court as a more exciting proposition than Wissa with the ex-River Plate wonderkid turned Madrid royalty an even more adaptable presence than his Congolese counterpart, with the £86m forward more than comfortable to play as an out-and-out striker, as much as he can also slot in as a number ten, or as a winger on either flank with ease.
On the contrary, Wissa has only ever played eight career clashes down the right-hand side or as a number ten, with Alvarez’s weighty price tag now making more sense in terms of what he can offer Howe and Co. away from just being a potent striker option.
With 15 Champions League goals under his belt too, on top of two Premier League title successes in his back pocket for City, landing the “best forward in the world” – as he was branded by reporter Roy Nemer – would be some coup, with Wissa forgotten about in a flash if a statement move was sealed.

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