Arsenal are exploring a deal for Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak as they look for an alternative to Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic, according to The Athletic.
The Gunners are in the hunt for a new striker this January, having had some troubles in front of goal. The bulk of their goals have come from midfield, with England pair Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka being their two top goalscorers with eight and six respectively.
Meanwhile, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has only netted four, and looks to be on his way out. Alexandre Lacazette has found the net on three occasions, while Eddie Nketiah is yet to score in the league.
Their goalscoring troubles have been accentuated since the turn of the year. Since Saka’s opening goal against Manchester City on New Year’s Day, Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t registered a single strike in all competitions.
This is a run which stretches four games, firing blanks in both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool, their FA Cup third-round tie against Championship side Nottingham Forest, and their Premier League clash with 20th-placed Burnley.
Despite this, they remain in with a shot of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in six seasons. They sit just two points behind Manchester United in fourth, and they have a game in hand on the Red Devils.
If they can bring in a prolific goalscorer, they may elevate themselves back into Europe’s biggest club competition.
Vlahovic is a known target for Arsenal. However, that deal is looking unlikely, with the player reportedly not interested in a move to the Emirates Stadium.
According to The Athletic, Isak has been identified as a possible alternative to the Serbian.
The 22-year-old has also been struggling for form this term, hitting just four in the league. Nonetheless, he is still young, and has proven in the past that he is capable of scoring goals.
Just last season, the Swede netted 17 in 34 league appearances. This put him sixth in La Liga’s Golden Boot race, behind Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Gerard Moreno, Luiz Suarez and Youssef En-Nesyri.
It is believed that a deal for Isak is more likely this month as he reportedly has a release clause in his contract, rumoured to be around £75 million. However, Arsenal may look to negotiate a lower fee.
As for Vlahovic, he is expected to leave Fiorentina during the summer. The forward is tied with Ciro Immobile on 17 goals in the Capocannoniere race, and is viewed by many as the next best young striker after Erling Braut Haaland.
Read also: West Ham consider move for £60m rated Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
