CHELSEA had Didier Drogba and Manchester City had Sergio Aguero. These weren’t the first signings made by the aforementioned clubs after landmark takeover deals were completed, but the capture of these strikers made a statement about their upward trajectory and Newcastle United have made a similar statement through their signing of Alexander Isak.

The Magpies have broken their club-record transfer fee by buying Isak from Real Sociedad for £59m, adding the Swedish international to an attack that has already demonstrated its potency in the Premier League this season – Newcastle have scored six times in just four matches. Eddie Howe is counting on Isak to give his team yet another dimension.

Anyone looking at Isak’s goalscoring numbers will have spotted that the 22-year-old found the back of the net just six times in 32 La Liga appearances for Real Sociedad. Indeed, last season was a difficult one for Isak, but his potential still can’t be doubted. Newcastle United have landed one of the best young centre forwards in European football right now.

“He has pace, technical ability, dribbling ability,” How explained after Isak’s signing was confirmed. “He’s got a bit of the X factor about him. Alex is slightly different and I think he’s capable of scoring goals. He’s technically very good and has a mix of qualities I really like in a forward player. The English game will suit his profile.”

Howe is entitled to be excited about Isak’s arrival at St James’ Park. There’s good reason to believe the Swedish international will be the perfect frontman for Newcastle United with Isak at his best in moments of quick transition when he is allowed to use his pace. The Magpies play a game that should align closely with the strengths of their new number nine.

Once billed as the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Isak has experienced a lot for a player still so young. Isak broke through as a teenage prodigy and caught the attention of clubs around Europe as he became the youngest scorer in the history of the Swedish top-flight. At 17, he became the youngest scorer for the Swedish national team and secured a move to Borussia Dortmund.

Isak turned down Real Madrid to make the move to Dortmund, but the forward struggled for opportunities in the Bundesliga and was hastily written off as a flop. It took a transfer to Real Sociedad for Isak to demonstrate the promise he’d shown in his homeland, scoring 44 goals in 132 games for the Spanish side.

Newcastle United fans shouldn’t expect the complete centre forward. Isak has his weaknesses in the air and can sometimes suffer from poor decision-making in front of goal. A number of world class strikers have joined Premier League clubs this summer, but Isak must refine some areas of his game – he’s not at the level of Erling Haaland, Gabriel Jesus or even Darwin Nunez.

But Newcastle United are building a team for the future and Isak’s signing has significant upside. Howe likes his team to play with speed in the attacking third and Isak should facilitate this. Allan Saint-Maximin has found form recently, as showcased by his performances against Manchester City and Wolves, while Bruno Guimaraes is also willing to join attacks from deep.

The core of a team that can realistically target a top six place is forming at St James’ Park. Many predicted Newcastle United would spend big to climb the Premier League table after last year’s Saudi Arabia-backed takeover, and Isak is proof of their willingness to splash the cash. But it is also proof of Newcastle’s determination to spend smartly.

Newcastle United Markets