Arsenal legend and former England international Ian Wright believes that Newcastle United’s club-record signing Alexander Isak is set to be a ‘very good’ signing for the Magpies following his introduction to the Premier League.
Isak joined Eddie Howe’s side as their most expensive ever signing for £63million from Spanish outfit Real Sociedad on August 26, before he announced himself to the world with a debut goal against Liverpool at Anfield and a man of the match award.
And following his first two appearances for the Magpies, Wright was full of praise for the Swedish youngster, who he believes will go on to be a star in the making in the north east this season.
Speaking on The Kelly & Wright Show following Newcastle’s 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday, the 58-year-old said: “I like Isak at Newcastle. Another 6ft 4in striker. When you see the way he took his first goal. It was unfortunate with his next chance [against Palace] when he tried to dink it.
"I just think at Newcastle, the way he plays, he can play as the number nine. The counter-attacking form. He presses. He has great skill. He could be a really, really good signing. I think he's going to be a very good signing."
After missing out on the 1-1 draw away to Wolves just two days after he signed for the Magpies due to a work permit issue, Isak was thrown straight into the starting lineup ahead of Chris Wood for the trip to Anfield 72 hours later.
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It took the Swede just 38 minutes to open his account for his new club, in which he found space in the box to receive the ball and smash it into the top corner to silence the Anfield faithful and offer just a taster of what he can bring to Howe’s outfit in years to come.
He even had a goal ruled out for offside in the second half, while a man of the match award followed, and even though he couldn’t conjure up the same heroics on his St. James’ Park bow against Crystal Palace on Saturday, it appears he has already cemented his place as Newcastle’s first choice striker - at least while Callum Wilson remains out injured.
The 22-year-old burst onto the professional scene with Swedish outfit AIK in the 2016-17 season, where 13 goals in 29 games across all competitions earned him a reported €9m (£7.7m) move to Borussia Dortmund - the highest transfer fee ever paid for an Allsvenskan player.
Things didn’t quite work out at the Bundesliga outfit, registering just one goal in 13 appearances, but 14 goals in 18 games during a loan spell at Eredivisie side Willem II in the 2018-19 campaign earned him a five-year deal with Real Sociedad that summer.
44 goals and eight assists in 132 games for the Spanish outfit, including 17 strikes in 34 La Liga games during the 2020-21 campaign, has earned him his valuable reputation and helped propel him on the international stage with Sweden, where impressive performances at Euro 2020 caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest sides.
His first two games for Newcastle this season have already offered plenty of signs of what is to come from the 22-year-old and completely backs up Wright’s prediction of Isak becoming a ‘very good’ signing for the Magpies, in what could be one of the transfers of the season.
