Newcastle United brings Real Sociedad's Alexander Isak for a record-breaking €70 million deal

The 22-year-old Swedish international will become Newcastle's record signing, surpassing Bruno Guimaraes, who arrived from Lyon, and Joelinton, who joined from Hoffenheim.

The Premier League team was looking to add a striker to their squad and chose to break their club transfer record to get the Sweden international.

Isak was previously linked to Arsenal and is regarded as one of Europe's most intriguing young forwards.

Since joining Sociedad from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, he has scored 33 goals in 105 La Liga appearances, and he was a standout for Sweden at Euro 2020 last summer. In 37 international appearances, he has nine goals.

How has Alexander Isak fared in recent times?

The Spanish newspaper El Diario Vasco initially reported the revelation, and the LaLiga team is already seeking a replacement.

Isak joined Sociedad from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019 for €10 million and, after four years, became Sociedad's most expensive exit of all time.

The previous record holder was defender Inigo Martinez, who joined LaLiga rivals Athletic Club in 2018 for €32 million.

According to sources, Sociedad will retain 10% of any future departures under the Isak agreement.

The LaLiga club was always aware of potential interest in the striker and upped his contract's release clause to €90 million in late 2021.

Sociedad agreed to a lower cost from Newcastle because the offer was too good to pass up, and it was also based on the player's performance last season when he only had six goals in 32 league games.

However, the striker has been an important element of Sociedad's forward line in recent seasons, scoring 44 goals in 132 games.

Barcelona was keeping a close eye on Isak's growth in February 2021, and the striker was linked to other Premier League clubs, notably Arsenal, during the January transfer window.

Isak is poised to become Newcastle's sixth summer signing, following Matt Targett, Nick Pope, Sven Botman, and Charlie McArthur.

Newcastle's head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, has long admired Isak, seeing the Swedish international as nearly the perfect profile for a modern-day attacker. Isak is a quick, tall, agile, and flexible centre-forward who, together with Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland, is part of a new breed of centre-forwards.

Isak will arrive in Newcastle with understandable optimism, given his undeniable talent and a lot to prove.

Isak, born in Stockholm to Eritrean parents, joined AIK at six and rapidly established himself as a child genius.

He made his first-team debut at 16 and became AIK's youngest-ever scorer before repeating the feat for Sweden at 17 years and 113 days.

Such accomplishments drew clear comparisons to Ibrahimovic, which is understandable given their shared nationality, height (Isak is 6ft 3in (190cm), and position.

Ibrahimovic described Isak as a "great" talent, and the pair were soon international teammates.