Jamie Carragher says £63m striker Mikel Arteta thinks is ‘perfect’ for his system may not even be for sale

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While Arsenal’s recruitment has largely been impressive over the years, the one position where they seemed to have missed the mark is up front.

During Mikel Arteta’s tenure, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have been brought in as the two strikers capable of taking the Gunners to the next level.

While Jesus and Havertz have fared well for the most part, the jury is still out when it comes to them being thoroughbred goalscorers such as some of the Premier League’s other leading strikers such as Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak.

Paul Merson thinks Arsenal need a striker to propel them towards lifting trophies at the Emirates Stadium — which Premier League-winning teams of yesteryear proving that a number nine is one of the most valuable ingredients for any side aspiring to make history.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	23	17	5	1	56	21	35	56
2	ArsenalArsenal	24	14	8	2	49	22	27	50

The goalscorer who seemingly gets linked with a move to Arsenal out of possibly any player in the world is Isak.

Arsenal would ideally like to sign Isak, who is quite simply having the season of his life.

But Isak played down his links to Arsenal or any other club as his focus is firmly on life at Newcastle United for the time being.

Arsenal told Alexander Isak may not leave Newcastle

However, Newcastle are aware that Isak could leave in the event that they fail to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.

But for the time being, the Swede is contracted to the Magpies until 2028.

Jamie Carragher reckons that Newcastle could end up breaking Arsenal’s hearts as they are in a strong position to keep Isak beyond the summer.

Carragher said on ‘It’s Called Soccer’ on The Overlap US’ YouTube channel: “You know what, I think he’s in a really awkward position because I think they’ll be able to hang on to him because the figures we’d talk, they’d want, probably £120 million, let’s say, now that is an awful lot of money for a club.”

“But you say, okay, he’s worth it, he’s fantastic. But he hasn’t got two years to go, I think he’s got three. So, if Newcastle kept him for a year, they would still be able to get the money that they’re getting right now, it’s not like they’re going to lose value, it’s not like going from two years to one year.”

“Three years to two years, I don’t think it makes that much difference. So, I think if you’re Newcastle, you could easily bat that away and say no and even if Isak wants to go, it’s like, no, you’re staying. There’s no Bosman coming into it, it’s a long time to stay at a club for three years to go for free so I think Newcastle are in a really strong position.”

Jamie Carragher claimed Isak could join Liverpool when discussing his future as well.

Mikel Arteta thinks Isak is “perfect” for his system

Mikel Arteta believes Isak is “perfect” for Arsenal and his system but reputed journalist David Ornstein also recently revealed that Newcastle have no intention of letting him go.

“The way he has developed and flourished is just spectacular, and it probably makes Arsenal rue their missed opportunity. There’s no doubt that he is the player that Mikel Arteta has at the top of his list. If he was to sign a striker, he’s seen as perfect for Arsenal’s system and everything he offers.”

“But Newcastle fans will hate hearing that, because they’ve got him under contract for a few years yet. He’s their key player. He’s at the centre of what they and their Saudi-led ownership are doing. And they’ve got no intention of seeing him go anywhere. They want him to sign a new contract. If they don’t qualify for the Champions League, maybe there’s a consideration, but the price will be phenomenally high.”

“Really, clubs like Arsenal should be looking for the next Alexander Isak, not the one who’s on the market if he was to come on the market. And also, we don’t even know that Isak would want to join Arsenal. I think it’s more realistic that Arsenal need to look for other targets, such as a Benjamin Sesko or whoever else is on the market.”

Arsenal could have signed Isak in 2022 but chose not to pay his release clause as he wound up at Newcastle for £63 million (Sky Sports) and this season more than any other during his career, the 24-year-old has proven that he might well be perfect for any team looking to win major silverware.