"Don’t think there’s much doubt that Alexander Isak will attract a lot of attention from clubs across Europe. Exceptional talent," Gary Lineker wrote on Twitter as Alexander Isak was enjoying a stellar Euro 2020.
The Match of the Day lead may have thought he was ahead of the curve when praising Isak just over 12 months ago - but in fact Lineker was actually pretty late to the party when it comes to acknowledging the forward's incredible talent.
After all, Thomas Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund fought tooth and nail to beat Real Madrid to the Swede's signature in 2017 when the striker was only 17-years-old. The powerful hitman has since attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona as he dazzled in front of European scouts for both club and country.
READ MORE: Newcastle United in advanced talks to sign Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak
Born in Stockholm to parents from Eritrea in north-east Africa, Isak honed his skills at Swedish side AIK for 12 years before his talent caught the eye of Europe's elite. Dortmund saw the teen sensation as their future No 9 and brought him to the Bundesliga with big expectations on his shoulders.
While it may not have worked out in Germany, Sociedad were willing to take the plunge with a £9m bid a few years later, helping increase Isak's popularity and stature across the continent. The 2020/21 campaign saw Isak become the first player aged 21 or under to score 17 La Liga goals in one season since Sergio Aguero for Atletico Madrid in 2008-09.
The Swedish connection brought the inevitable comparisons to national sweetheart Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Both players are big, quick and possess an excellent first touch. However, it remains to be seen as to whether Isak enjoys the same level of swaggering self-confidence as his former team-mate.
"I have seen him in action and he is fantastic," Ibrahimovic said of Isak back in 2016. Reports in Italy suggested the AC Milan striker asked his former agent, the late Mino Raiola, to recommend the youngster to his former clubs PSG and Juventus.
For Newcastle United, it is the ideal deal at the ideal time. The Magpies have spent all summer pursuing attacking outlets and finally found a humdinger with just a number of days to spare. Seven weeks of transfer stalemate broken in the hours before the trip to Tranmere.
Negotiations are at an advanced stage with Newcastle ready to smash their transfer record and part ways with £58m. If fans have felt frustrated in recent weeks, an arrival of this magnitude will surely rid that feeling.
Isak arrives as a player more than capable of starting in the Premier League, while still being young enough to learn the art of goalscoring from Callum Wilson in the next few seasons. He raises the standard of Eddie Howe's attacking options, just as the Magpies boss sought to do at the opposite of the pitch earlier this summer.
Howe recently said 'Bruno Guimaraes' don't grow on trees'. But to sign a player of Isak's calibre, at 22, while others were interested, is a huge statement of intent and may look like an absolute snip in years to come.
It a deal that ticks every single box for Newcastle United at this stage of their new era. A huge statement signing at the top end of the pitch as Howe plots to upset the Premier League apple cart.
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