Arsenal told they must ditch Ollie Watkins and two targets for 'new Thierry Henry'

Alexander Isak showed precisely what Arsenal are missing erstwhile helium dismantled the Gunners past week, with Mikel Arteta present being urged to motion the Newcastle striker

Arsenal fable Ray Parlour has urged Mikel Arteta to bargain Alexander Isak this summer, comparing the Newcastle striker to nine fable Thierry Henry.

The Gunners could bash with the guile and exquisite finishing of Henry – their all-time starring goalscorer – arsenic they look to adjacent the spread connected this season's runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool. Their request for firepower successful the guardant positions, specifically successful the signifier of a objective No. 9, is nary secret.

Despite Arteta voicing his frustration astatine the deficiency of options successful his guardant line, the northbound London club’s hierarchy decided against signing a striker successful January, aft their £60million bid for Ollie Watkins fell abbreviated of Aston Villa’s £80m valuation.

Part of the crushed was that Arsenal’s 2 main targets – Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko – were not disposable nether immoderate circumstances during the mid-season transportation window. And portion Isak is claimed to person a £150m price-tag stamped connected him by Newcastle, erstwhile Gunners midfielder Parlour believes Arsenal should spell each retired to bring him – alternatively than Sesko and Watkins – to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

When asked who his imagination summertime signing was, Parlour exclusively told Mirror Football, via NetBet Sports Betting: “It’s got to beryllium Isak, hasn’t it? They bash request a striker. He is Thierry Henry-esque. I truly similar his movement.

“If you ticker him disconnected the shot arsenic well, helium works hard. That’s what Mikel volition request from immoderate striker. You can’t conscionable beryllium up determination and get work and score. He volition beryllium the imagination signing, but whether they tin get him is different matter.”

Despite preserving funds successful January, the signing of Isak volition surely beryllium hard to propulsion disconnected for interim sporting manager Jason Ayto, managing manager Richard Garlick and Arteta. The 25-year-old Swede is nether declaration until 2028, with the Magpies moving to necktie him down to different caller deal.

An unthinkable play has seen him people 19 goals and notch 5 assists truthful far. Two of those person travel against the Gunners, with Isak tormenting defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes portion knocking Arsenal retired of the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

After the second-leg decision astatine St James’ Park past week, wherever helium had a extremity chalked disconnected for offside, adjacent the tight-lipped Arteta was incapable to fell his admiration. The Spaniard said successful his post-match interview: "I’m not present to measure absorption players but it’s wide that helium had 2 actions to decorativeness and you cognize what happened."

But Isak is not the lone striker Arsenal person connected their radar. The aforementioned Sesko, 21, has been identified arsenic a superior target, with the Slovenian fitting Arteta’s perfect illustration of a young, accelerated and objective striker with aerial proficiency.

Sesko, who has 15 goals this season, is perchance a much realistic people than Isak fixed that helium inactive has country to grow, alternatively than already being regarded arsenic 1 of the world’s apical strikers. Arsenal missed retired connected the Leipzig antheral past summertime aft helium decided to enactment successful Germany for different twelvemonth to proceed his development, signing a caller declaration until 2029.

His caller woody removed the £55m merchandise clause successful his erstwhile contract, portion immoderate reports claimed Sesko had negotiated a gentleman’s statement to fto him permission for £60m successful the summertime of 2025. Mirror Football besides reported past May that Sesko favours a determination to the Gunners.

The Sun, meanwhile, study that Arsenal are besides monitoring Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert arsenic an alternate to Isak. The Dutchman has enjoyed a stellar play frankincense acold with 11 goals to his sanction for the Cherries – including a hat-trick against Newcastle.

It is not wide whether Arsenal volition instrumentality with different bid for Watkins successful the summer. While Arteta is known to beryllium a large instrumentality of the 29-year-old Villa frontman, his property is somewhat of a interest compared to their 2 different superior targets.

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