Arsenal lead "fantastic" £60m race as Manchester United handed transfer 'ban'

Arsenal have long been fans but they are now the favourites to sign Newcastle star Alexander Isak despite the ongoing interest from Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta has made his intentions of signing a new striker very clearly and there have been several names floating about. Edu's wish-list supposedly includes the likes of Napoli star Victor Osimhen and Brentford's Ivan Toney while Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee has also been mentioned as a possibility.

However, the Gunners have reportedly had their eye on the Swedish international Isak for quite some time and will be looking to tempt him away from St James' Park this summer. Isak, who was previously at Real Sociedad, joined the Magpies in 2022 and has been on flying form for Eddie Howe ever since, scoring 22 goals in 42 Premier League appearances and showing his versatility on the pitch by playing in different positions and systems.

Their is growing speculation that Newcastle will need to sell some of their players in order to meet financial rules and with the recent points deduction handed to both Everton and Nottingham Forest, the Toon club will be monitoring their accounts very carefully.

If Isak is up for sale, it will not just be the Gunners who are after him but it is possible they will no longer face any competition from Erik ten Hag's side after it emerged that Newcastle are considering placing a ban on any potential deals with the Red Devils because of Dan Ashworth's future.

According to the Express, the Old Trafford club could have limited dealings with Newcastle going forward if Ashworth does indeed make the move down to Manchester. The Magpies, however, want much more than £3m for their transfer guru but they do not want their best players to follow him down the road.

Isak, 24, began his career with AIK before moving to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2017. The forward was sent out on loan to Willem II before heading to La Liga where he made over 100 league appearances for Real Sociedad in his three year tenure.

Following the takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Isak was then signed by Newcastle for a reported fee of over £60m on a six-year contract worth £6.24m a year (£120,000-per-week). He scored and was named man of the match on his debut and Magpies boss Eddie Howe has previously drawn comparisons between him and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. The Swedish forward also has 42 international appearances with ten goals to his name.