One club are ready to pay their £150 million star marquee wages to stop him potentially joining Arsenal, with the player said to be high on sporting director Edu Gaspar's agenda for 2025.

Arsenal miss out on striker signing despite summer reports

The Gunners were repeatedly linked with signing a new striker over the summer transfer window, but Mikel Arteta and co ultimately decided not to bring one through the door, instead favouring Kai Havertz in his makeshift forward role.

How many games Odegaard could now miss for Arsenal after ankle injury news

The Norwegian may be absent for a long while.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 11, 2024

Arsenal did briefly consider signing Ivan Toney from Brentford, before the Englishman sealed a lucrative £330,000-per-week move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli, but Arteta didn't go through with the move due to concerns surrounding his potential chemistry with the squad.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko also received an offer to join Arsenal early in the summer window, with Man United and Chelsea also making proposals for the 21-year-old, who ultimately decided to sign a new contract and remain with his current club.

There are suggestions that Arsenal could go back in for Sesko next summer, but for now the Slovenia international will remain in the Bundesliga. There were also links to Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, which would've been quite a coup from Edu's perspective.

The Sweden international, who scored 25 goals in all competitions under Eddie Howe last term, has plenty of admirers at the Emirates Stadium. Isak is even said by some to be Arteta's dream signing, but he won't be an easy capture by any means.

Arsenal insider teamnewsandtix expects the club to make a push for Isak next year regardless, despite some claims he could cost as much as £150 million.

Newcastle ready to pay Isak marquee salary to stop him joining Arsenal

With Arsenal still eyeing a move for Isak next year, The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey write that the Magpies are working hard to tie him down.

According to their information, Newcastle are ready to make Isak the club's joint-highest earner to ward off suitors like Arsenal, which would equal Bruno Guimaraes' salary of around £160,000-per-week.

Howe's side are apparently anxious to agree terms, and it's pretty easy to see why.

"His runs are superb. If you just watch how clever he is when he doesn't get the first pass played in, he then goes behind a defender to come back in and bend his run to make sure that he is onside, then he can make a really clever finish," said Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer last season.

"He can also come deep and drop deep, so he is asking different questions of the defenders by saying: 'Are you going to come with me or are you going to drop off?' If you drop off, he has got the ability to hurt you there.

"He is just a constant threat all the time. His finishing is excellent and his penalty taking is as good as they come. He is confident and cool and believes in everything he is doing.

"We know that once he gets away over the top, he is going to cause you an absolute nightmare. His ability to link up and his understanding [is brilliant]."