Arsenal will need to come to a swift decision in the summer transfer window if they want to avoid losing another main transfer target.
According to The Mirror, Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing Alexander Isak this summer, with the Swede potentially replacing Cristiano Ronaldo. Chelsea are also thought to be interested.
The Gunners were heavily linked to the 22-year-old, who is valued at £36 million by Transfermarkt, towards the end of the January transfer window, but a deal never managed to materialise due to concerns over his £75 million release clause, The Athletic reported.
With Ronaldo struggling of late, a deal for a younger striker ahead of next season would make sense for United, which should put Arsenal on red alert.
The north London side has already experienced losing out on their top striker target, and they must ensure there is not a repeat in the summer.
Arsenal were and still are in desperate need of a striker after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s omission, and they identified Vlahovic as the main target in January.
Despite reported attempts to get the striker, the 21-year-old ended up joining Serie A side Juventus instead, with that always being his preferred destination.
This should certainly be a hard lesson learned for Edu in future transfer attempts for the most promising stars in world football, and the Brazilian must not repeat the same mistake with Isak.
Not only would it be an embarrassment to lose out on another top striker, but it would also mean that a top-four rival in Manchester United would have added to their firepower.
Arsenal do have a slight advantage when it comes to signing Isak after he confirmed that he was an admirer of Thierry Henry, and Edu must act upon this.
Isak explained that the Arsenal legend was his idol when speaking to Swedish YouTube channel Min Stora Dag.
“I have a lot of football players who I have looked up to and have taken a lot from. But if I have to name one I would say Thierry Henry who I have really liked all the time and where I see many qualities that I have tried to follow.”
The 22-year-old is equipped with bags of potential and will without a doubt be one of the best strikers in football over upcoming years, having scored 40 goals in 111 appearances for Real Sociedad.
To prevent losing out on the striker to Manchester United, Edu must move fast to ensure the Vlahovic embarrassment isn’t repeated, and Arsenal can continue their rebuilding process by strengthening in the attacking position.
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