Paul Merson believes there is only ‘one club in the whole world’ Arsenal transfer target Alexander Isak can join in the summer.
The Newcastle striker gave another demonstration of his ability in last night’s Carabao Cup semi-final win over the Gunners.
Although he failed to get on the scoresheet, Isak was a constant menace and comprehensively won his battle with the usually unflappable William Saliba.
The 25-year-old’s current contract runs until the summer of 2028 which offers Newcastle a measure of security, but Isak has reportedly been keen to negotiate fresh terms and an increase on his current £120,000-a-week salary.
Arsenal, who missed the opportunity to sign Isak when he was at Real Sociedad, are expected to be in the market for a forward in the summer having kept their powder dry in the January window.
Should they revive their interest in Isak, Merson believes they are likely to be successful should they come up with a suitable financial package.
He told Sky Sports: ‘It will come down to money. I don’t know the lad but that will more than likely come down to.
‘If someone comes in and offers a lot of money it will be hard. For me I don’t know. At the moment they’re in the final. Will they win it? If they play Tottenham maybe, if they play Liverpool it’s going to be harder.
‘The lad is a special player. On the way in I was thinking where can he go? Where is he going to go?
‘He’s not going to Man City, he’s not going to Man Utd, I don’t know if they’ve got any money to buy anybody anyway.
‘You’re not going to Tottenham or Villa. He can only go to Arsenal really unless it’s Real Madrid and they’ve got Mbappe anyway.
‘For me it’s only Arsenal where he can go and then it’s up to him. Does he want to go to Arsenal where I might win something or stay at Newcastle and might win something. It’ll be an interesting one but it depends on the fair play rules.’
Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson, meanwhile, could only applaud Isak’s latest reputation enhancing display and praised the way in which he ‘rattled’ Saliba and Gabriel.
He said: ‘I just love watching Isak, I think he’s on another level with his movement. He’s one of those players, he’s so unassuming in the way he plays and the way he carries himself that he almost slinks around the pitch and then all of a sudden, bang, he comes into life.
‘The chance where he hits the goal when Murphy scores, he’s got no right to spin and get that ball, but as he wins that flick past Saliba, his instinct to spin and get around him, he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Gordon fires the ball into him. It’s his reaction and anticipation that makes it happen.
‘He rattled Arsenal, the two [Arsenal] centre-backs, didn’t have a good night. Hats off to Eddie Howe, got the game plan BANG ON, absolutely played out that way with a little help from Arsenal.’
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