SETTABLOID

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak remains of serious interest to Arsenal but even a dramatic mega-money bid wouldn’t be enough to sign him before the transfer window closes.

The Swedish international has been on fire for the Magpies this season, scoring a fantastic 17 goals in 21 Premier League appearances so far, and many top clubs are keeping close tabs on his situation.

Isak is considered a dream target for Arsenal and the London side are interested in signing a new striker this month, as evidenced by their bid for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins, which was swiftly rejected.

Mikel Arteta wants to bring in a new front man to cover for Gabriel Jesus who is sidelined with an injury, but sources are adamant that Isak will be impossible to sign in the coming days.

The 25-year-old is under contract at St James’ Park until 2028 so Newcastle are in a very strong position and those close to the club are optimistic about keeping him for the long-term beyond 2025.

There is also an expectation that Newcastle will sit down with Isak towards the end of the season to try and tie him down to a longer-term deal with a salary increase. At that point, Eddie Howe’s side may know whether they’ve qualified for Champions League football, which will naturally strengthen their position.

Isak is untouchable for now and even if he doesn’t pen a contract extension it would take a British record fee to sign him in the summer.

Mikel Arteta was unable to confirm whether David Raya would be fit to play for Arsenal against Manchester City at the weekend. With a second player also confirmed to be missing for the match having not yet trained.

Arteta faced the media in the build-up to a pivotal Premier League clash with Manchester City with the chance to open a nine-point gap on the champions while hoping to close in on Liverpool, who travel to Bournemouth.

Despite the January transfer window concluding in the coming days, the focus for many fans outside of who might sign was on the latest regarding David Raya. The Spain international missed the match with Girona in midweek despite travelling with the squad for the match.

Arteta said before and after the game that he couldn’t play and was “not fit” but would provide little clarity on what the issue was nor whether he would make the match with Man City this weekend. He was again asked for further clarification in the pre-match presser.

Arsenal take on Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium at 16:30 GMT. Build-up and match coverage will be available in our  matchday blog from four hours before kick-off.

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a man given the title of the “hottest striker” in Italy, in a move which AFTV host Robbie Lyle has been told to take “very seriously”.

The Gunners have stepped up their efforts for a striker of late. They were already keen on landing on prior to January, but Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka getting injured have made it a must.

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the subject of a bid from Arsenal, believed to be somewhere near £45million, but Villa value him at £80million, and it seems unlikely Arsenal will pay that.

As a result, they have been forced to move onto other options, and AFTV host Lyle has revealed there is genuine interest in Atalanta’s Retegui.

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the subject of a bid from Arsenal, believed to be somewhere near £45million, but Villa value him at £80million, and it seems unlikely Arsenal will pay that.

As a result, they have been forced to move onto other options, and AFTV host Lyle has revealed there is genuine interest in Atalanta’s Retegui.

Though it’s believed by some that Martin Zubimendi has agreed to join Arsenal, Real Madrid could reportedly hijack the summer move, with the midfielder their favoured target in his position.

Both the Gunners and Real are said to be in the market for Florian Wirtz, though the La Liga outfit are said to feel his asking price is too high to justify a deal, potentially letting Arsenal lead the race for him.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could miss out on Matheus Cunha, with Aston Villa expected to lodge a bid for him.

And with Jhon Duran looking likely to leave for the Saudi Pro League in a big-money transfer, the deal would be easily funded, while meaning Watkins is almost certainly going to stay, dealing the Gunners a harsh double whammy.

BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has stated his prediction for Sunday’s much-awaited Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners returned to winning ways in the top flight last weekend with a 1-0 triumph at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The game was controversial due to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s surprise sending-off for a tactical foul by referee Michael Oliver.

Arsenal did not give up with 10 men and eventually scored the winner through Riccardo Calafiori. Lewis-Skelly’s red card was rescinded on appeal. The club went on to beat Girona on Wednesday to qualify directly for the Champions League last 16.

The London giants now face a stern test of their title credentials against Manchester City at home. The club are already six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand at Everton.

Hence, the upcoming clash is a must-win, and Sutton has backed Arsenal to come on top with a 2-1 triumph. He is hoping that Erling Haaland can ‘stay humble’ if his team end up on the losing side.

Arsenal had the worst possible start in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland opened the scoring from a defensive lapse from Calafiori. However, the dynamic of the game changed with Rodri’s injury midway through the opening half.

Just a minute later, Calafiori announced himself to the Gunners fans with a stunning curling strike from outside the box. Gabriel Magalhaes put them 2-1 in front from a trademark header from a corner, but the dynamic changed once more with Leandro Trossard’s red card.

Oliver handed a second yellow card to the Belgian for apparently kicking the ball after a foul on Bernardo Silva. Arsenal went into ultra-defensive mode following the half-time interval, but City managed to pull level in the 98th minute through John Stones.

There was a war of words at the end of the game with Haaland telling Arteta to ‘stay humble’. His words should be used by the Spaniard to fire up his players for Sunday. The game is a must-win if the Gunners want to stay in the title race with Arne Slot’s side.

Bayern Munich wonderkid Mathys Tel is waiting to see if Arsenal or Manchester United formalise their interest in his services before making a final decision on his destination, according to Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel.

The 19-year-old started in Bayern’s 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night. Following the game, the Frenchman was spotted waving goodbye to the fans at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern director Max Eberl has confirmed that the forward wants to leave and Mokbel reports that Arsenal and United could be front-runners to land his signature from the German giants.

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have shown the firmest interest in the attacker. However, ‘sources close to the situation’ say that Tel is waiting to hear from Arsenal or United before making a final decision.

It is added that the teenager would like to know the level of assurances in terms of playing opportunities from either club before deciding on his next challenge away from the Bundesliga.

Arsenal could have an edge over United in Tel pursuit

The Rennes graduate can play across the attack. He is most efficient from the left wing but has also impressed from the centre-forward role during his time at the Bavarian giants.

In our view, the youngster may struggle for minutes from the left flank with competition from Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, but he could have opportunities elsewhere.

Ethan Nwaneri excelled on the right wing at Girona, but manager Mikel Arteta may want competition in the department with Bukayo Saka sidelined until March after hamstring surgery.

Meanwhile, the club desperately need another option to lead the attack. There has been an overreliance on Kai Havertz, who looked jaded at the end against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

The German got a much-needed breather with a substitute role in midweek, but Arsenal definitely need another choice up front with Gabriel Jesus out with a serious knee injury.

With Tel’s immense potential, he could become a regular starter ahead of Havertz, who has been prone to missing clear-cut chances lately. We believe Arsenal could have an edge over United.

They are playing in the Champions League, which is a major attraction. At United, Tel may have to compete for places with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee for the number nine role.

On top of this, he may have to adapt to the wing-back position as manager Ruben Amorim prefers two attacking midfielders in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Arsenal have the better project for his development.

It will be interesting to see whether Arsenal make an approach for Tel, who has been described as a ‘superb finisher‘ by Thomas Muller.