Why Barcelona should sign Swedish sensation Alexander Isak
According to a report from Radio Barcelona (h/t MARCA), Barcelona are looking at Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak as a Plan B should their attempt to land Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan fail to materialize.
The 20-year-old Isak came through the youth ranks at Swedish club AIK. He made 29 first-team appearances, scoring 13 goals, before being snapped up by Borussia Dortmund in January 2017. The striker had a difficult time in Germany, as he struggled to break into the senior team at Dortmund.
In January last year, he was sent on a six-month loan to Willem II, where he impressed, scoring 14 goals in just 18 games. Isak joined Real Sociedad last summer and the 20-year-old striker has impressed in his debut season in Spain.
Meanwhile, Barcelona continue to lead the race for the La Liga title, despite having been inconsistent over the course of the 2019/20 season. The up and down in form resulted in the sacking of manager Ernesto Valverde, with Quique Setien taking over the reins. The Blaugrana were finding their feet under the new boss, but the season was then suspended.
Barcelona remain over-reliant on Messi
Barcelona have scored the most number of goals in La Liga this season (63). But they have once again been over-reliant on captain Lionel Messi to come up with the goods in front of goal. The Argentine has been directly involved in 31 goals in La Liga for the Catalans – nearly 50% of their total goal tally. This despite him missing a stretch of games early in the season.
Luis Suarez had started strongly before a knee injury ruled him out for the season, leaving Barcelona short-handed in attack.
Antoine Griezmann has failed to make the desired impact at Barcelona upon arriving in a mega-money deal last summer. Hence, Barcelona should look to bolster their centre-forward department in the summer. Especially given that Luis Suarez, at 33, is entering the twilight of his decorated career.
To that end, Alexander Isak would be a viable option for Barcelona. Just 20 years of age, the centre-forward has shown good adaptability to settle down in Spain. He has already bagged 14 goals in 34 appearances for Real Sociedad, while assisting three more. The striker also has 4 goals in 11 matches for the Swedish national team.
In comparison, Barcelona’s primary target Lautaro Martinez has scored only two more goals than Isak. Inter Milan are demanding €150m for the Argentine, whereas Isak has a release clause of just €70m, less than half the amount.
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Verdict
Barcelona are in need of a new striker as age is catching up with Luis Suarez. Antoine Griezmann, too, has failed to deliver since arriving at Camp Nou.
And Isak, in his debut season in Spain has made a solid impression. Moreover, he would cost Barcelona less than half what Lautaro Martinez would. Hence, if their pursuit of the Argentine fails, the 20-year-old Swede would be a good addition for the Catalans.
