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Mikel Arteta decides who he wants to sign out of Alexander Isak or Benjamin Sesko as Arsenal now want big-name striker

Srinivas Sadhanand

Thu 20 February 2025 10:45, UK

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Mikel Arteta has decided the striker he wishes Arsenal to sign in the summer transfer window.

A big-name striker is a priority summer signing for Arsenal — TBR Football understands.

But the Gunners will carefully select the man to lead the line for them, with Arsenal having snubbed a move for Moise Kean as they question how prolific he is.

Arsenal were eyeing a striker on loan in January, which goes to show that the club even realise that for them to especially win the Premier League, the presence of a top-class centre-forward is crucial.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	26	18	7	1	62	26	36	61
2	ArsenalArsenal	25	15	8	2	51	22	29	53

Mikel Arteta wants Alexander Isak over Benjamin Sesko at Arsenal

Graeme Bailey — TBR Football’s chief correspondent has been notified that while Arsenal still have Benjamin Sesko in their sights after bidding for him last summer, Alexander Isak is Mikel Arteta’s personal first-choice.

While Newcastle would not like to sell Isak, they are fully-aware that his future will be out of their hands if Eddie Howe does not lead the club to a league finish that the star striker deems acceptable. Newcastle’s ideal scenario remains that the Swede puts pen to paper beyond 2028 and agrees fresh terms to become the Magpies’ highest-paid player in history.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
4	Man CityManchester City	25	13	5	7	52	35	17	44
5	B’mouthBournemouth	25	12	7	6	44	29	15	43
6	ChelseaChelsea	25	12	7	6	47	34	13	43
7	NewcastleNewcastle	25	12	5	8	42	33	9	41
8	FulhamFulham	25	10	9	6	38	33	5	39
9	Aston VillaAston Villa	26	10	9	7	37	40	-3	39

On the Arsenal front, TBR Football understands that the reason why they have narrowed down their striker targets is because they would not like to spend all summer chasing a whole host of players.

Signing a brand-new number nine is not the only position Arsenal would like to address, targeting a new winger and at least one central midfielder but likely, two. Interim sporting director Jason Ayto and head of recruitment James Ellis are working diligently behind the scenes alongside head of football operations Richard Garlick.

Arsenal will bid for Isak but only on one condition

TBR Football have been told that Arsenal will only make a move for Isak if he refuses to sign a new contract at St. James’ Park.

If the 24-year-old does bid farewell to his current employers, Newcastle will demand a fee in excess of £100 million.

As a result, only a handful of clubs will even be able to afford Isak, who was compared to Thierry Henry such as Chelsea and Liverpool, who are huge admirers of his as the Solna-born hitman continues to have an outstanding individual campaign.

The good news for Arsenal is that while Barcelona were interested in signing Isak, they are set to stick with Robert Lewandowski for another season and are also looking to sign Jonathan David for free. The potential bad news, however is that Paris Saint-Germain are being kept informed about the in-demand goalscorer’s situation.