Watching Alexander Isak this season, it is easy to see why the Newcastle striker would be Arsenal’s dream signing this summer.
Arsenal are not alone in being admirers of Isak. Barcelona and Liverpool are the latest to be credited with an interest in the Sweden international who is valued at more than £100million.
Isak has enjoyed a brilliant season, scoring 19 Premier League goals and the crucial second for Newcastle in last weekend’s Carabao Cup final.
His performances have led to him being compared to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, but Newcastle are adamant he is not for sale and they plan to offer him a new contract.
Here, Standard Sport takes a look at the numbers that show why Arsenal would love to sign Isak…
A clinical finisher
It was in January last year, during another barren run in front of goal for Arsenal, that former Gunners striker Ian Wright posted on social media: “We need a killer”.
That need for a goalscorer has not gone away and Arsenal want to sign a new No9 this summer to provide competition for Kai Havertz.
Mikel Arteta has stressed a desire for his side to be more ruthless in front of goal and Isak is certainly that.
Last season, his conversion rate in front of goal was 26.92 per cent. For players who scored at least 10 goals, it was the fourth-best rate in the Premier League.
Isak’s fine form has continued this season. Among players who have hit double figures for Premier League goals, his conversation rate is bettered only by Chris Wood.
The Swede has found the net with 27.54 per cent of his shots on goal. Erling Haaland comes in at 20.59 per cent and Mohamed Salah at 25.47 per cent.
Isak ranks highly in expected goals (xG) metrics, too. His xG in the Premier League this season is only bettered by Haaland and Salah.
He has the highest xG per shot in the league this season for players who have hit double figures in terms of goals.
Isak is also outperforming his xG by 3.45 in the league this season. Only Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Salah and Wood are outperforming their xG by more.
Creative output
Goals are how Isak has made his name, but there is more to his game than that.
His movement, in particular, is devastating - as Arsenal found out during both legs of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle in January.
Isak can be a creator, too, and that is vital. In Arteta’s current system, the player who leads the line has to have an all-round game.
In the Premier League this season, he has created 29 chances from open play this season. Compared to Arsenal players, only Martin Odegaard can better that tally.
Newcastle play Isak through the middle, but he is given freedom to drift from his position and that has allowed him to cause defences so many problems this season.
“We encourage him to get on the ball as much as he can,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told TNT Sports earlier this season.
"When you've got the technical skills that he has, I think it’s absolutely huge for us that we don’t ask him to be too central and static. We need him on the ball, we want him on the ball as much as we can in the attacking third, so he does have licence and freedom within our structure to go and get the ball.”
Defensive work
Few managers are as demanding as Arteta when it comes to work rate off the ball and it is why Arsenal have the best defence in the Premier League this season.
The defensive work starts from the front and the Gunners like to press their opponents high up the pitch.
In the Premier League this season, only Bournemouth have won the ball in the final third more times than Arsenal.
Isak performs solidly in this area and his numbers are in keeping with the rest of Arsenal’s forward line.
He has won the ball in the final third 14 times in the Premier League this season. Gabriel Jesus and Havertz, whose minutes have been limited by injuries, have done so seven times.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard’s tallies stand at 15, with Bukayo Saka the best of Arsenal’s front players on 19.
