Arsenal are set for more transfer frustration with Alexander Isak ready to snub any potential approach in the final days of the window.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is desperate to land a new striker this week, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang now seemingly surplus to requirements.
The former skipper hasn’t played since being stripped of the armband in December and his exclusion shows no sign of ending, amid news he will be omitted from the club’s mid-season training camp in Dubai.
Arteta met with Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke earlier this week, with the budget for a new striker believed to be right at the top of the agenda.
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Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic had been Arteta’s No.1 target, but they look set to lose out to Juventus, who are closing in on a £63million deal.
Reports then suggested they could shift their focus to Isak, who has eight goals in all competitions for Real Sociedad this term.
Sociedad will not lose their most prized asset easily however, having slapped an eye-watering £75m release clause into his contract.
It is understood the LaLiga club will not entertain any offers under that clause, meaning Arsenal would have to smash their transfer record just to open discussions with the player.
However, even if they sanction that kind of bid, Mundo Deportivo claim the 22-year-old has no intention of moving in the middle of the season and will reject any approach.
Due to his stance, Sociedad are said to be calm about his current situation, although they understand that should they miss out on a European place, he could be on the move later this year.
Whether he would be open to an Arsenal switch in the summer remains to be seen, but that doesn’t help Arteta solve what is becoming an increasingly concerning situation within his squad.
While Aubameyang is heavily linked with an exit this month, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are both set to become free agents in a matter of months.
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Isak has previously hinted he would be open to playing in the Premier League at some point, in order for him to fulfill his potential as one of the top strikers in Europe.
“I am in a good place at the moment, I am very happy, but one day it would be nice to play in England as well,” the Swede told the Independent in November.
“They have six or seven of the biggest clubs in the world, it is a very high level, and of course, one day it would be an alternative.
“Every player wants to be the best version of themselves and reach the highest possible level.
“People will always count the goals, I want to score, but I want to be a modern striker.
“I love playing football, and that means being involved as much as possible. I think that is why Spain has suited me very well.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been touted as another alternative for Arteta, but similarly to Isak, the Toffees are unwilling to sell in the middle of the season and would instead demand a huge price in the summer.
