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Chris Davison & Tom Canton & Bailey Keogh

Premier League star picked to join Arsenal on Deadline Day as Edu considers £75m release clause

Another Deadline Day has arrived with Arsenal fans desperately pressing F5 on their laptops, refreshing their feeds, in the hope the Gunners will complete a big move before the day ends.

All the activity at the Emirates so far has been outgoings so far, with Eddie Nketiah and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang still potentially leaving the club in the last 24 hours.

As far as signings go, Arsenal fans are hoping Aleksander Isak was in London over the weekend for more than just a shopping trip, while a late midfielder signing is also potentially on the cards.

The Arsenal Way's Tom Canton, Chris Davison and Bailey Keogh outline what they think will happen as we enter another Deadline Day frenzy.

Tom Canton - Arsenal Fan Brand Writer & Presenter

The honest answer is anything could happen. Not the most enlightening of opinions but it is the reality. Arsenal are active in the market and have been looking to try and strengthen in both midfield and striking roles but have so far been unsuccessful.

The emphasis has clearly been on continuing the rigid strategy put in place last summer. Signing players for figures associated with their quality, character and future potential. So many mistakes have been made in the past that Mikel Arteta and Edu are keen to make shrewd signings and correct these errors.

However, Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak is seemingly the most likely with the Swedish international having a release clause. Yet, I remain pessimistic due to the huge €90 million (£75m) price associated with it and how much higher that is than what I perceive to be the striker’s true value.

I am not confident that the club will be willing to pay over the odds to ensure Isak arrives now rather than be patient, wait until the summer and move for the likes of Jonathan David for a fee more reflective of the player’s quality. But it isn’t my money and if Isak steps through the London Colney doors I will be delighted to welcome him in.

Beyond him, however, I would be shocked to see any further movement.

Chris Davison - Arsenal Fan Brand Content Editor

Although nothing is ever guaranteed, I was 99.9% sure that Arsenal would strengthen this month. Now, my confidence levels are at an all-time low.

It's deadline day so of course, anything is possible, we've seen it before. But with no strong or credible links doing the rounds at the time of typing this, I'm preparing myself for disappointment.

If the club decides to make a move, I think it will be for a player already in the Premier League. Ruben Neves, Douglas Luiz and Yves Bissouma would most likely be the options looked at, in my opinion.

The situation surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also one to keep a close eye on, if he departs - surely we have to sign a replacement? But again, with less than 24 hours remaining, Edu and Richard Garlick would have a monumental task on their hands.

I think it's set to be a tense day. Part of me is intrigued to see what develops, the other is prepared for the inevitable meltdown of the Arsenal fanbase. If signings are not made, a lot of people including myself will rightly be frustrated.

Is the silence just a red herring? Let's wait and see.

Bailey Keogh - Arsenal Fan Brand Writer & Presenter

If Arsenal are to make a signing on deadline day, then it will be the signature of Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad. He is the only striker of real quality that will be available on deadline day due to his £75 million release clause.

A deal is certainly possible but I cannot see Arsenal activating his clause in the final days, otherwise, this would have been done sooner.

I believe the Gunners will have a quiet deadline day in terms of incomings.

If Arsenal manages to sign Isak or another forward, then the sales of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah should both go through to give the Gunners funds going into the summer.

With the club no longer in any cup competitions, the impact Nketiah has on the rest of the season will be small, so any fee generated for him will be a bonus seeing as though his contract is set to expire.

Aubameyang’s future at the club seems to be over, so the quicker he is off the team’s wage bill, the better.

However, I think these outgoings will only be completed if Arsenal managed to sign a striker, if not then it's set to be a very quiet day at London Colney.

Make sure you have subscribed to The Arsenal Way! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Arsenal content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews. You can follow Tom Canton from the TAW team to keep up to date with his work.

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