According to ESPN FC, Chelsea is edging closer to wrap up a deal for 17-year-old AIK striker Alexander Isak. Dubbed as the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he has gained attraction from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. French Champions Paris Saint-Germain and Conte’s former club Juventus are currently giving the London side stiff competition to secure the signature of the talented striker.
PSG was in pole position few days before as they have contacted the club several times yet not tabled a bid and the Blues are looking to capitalise on the French club’s delay.
A source close to the Swedish side claimed (as cited by ESPN): “PSG have been in contact with AIK numerous times but there is no offer on the table right now. Inside the club, Chelsea is the favourites and have already proposed €11 million”
It’s a substantial amount for sure, considering the age of the player and sort of league he is attached to, however being overwhelmed by the sudden surge of interest surrounding their whiz kid, the Stockholm club are only interested in a fee around €15 million. And reports have emerged that Juventus are willing to offer 1 million more than the asking price.
Isak has all passable replicas to become a top-notch striker, which justifies the interest from the European giants. The Solna-born forward notched 10 goals in 24 Allsvenskan appearances last campaign. Quick, technically gifted on the ball, clinical in front of goal and towering height are his strong attributes. Having said that, he has the ability to play on the flanks, and he has scored goals from those positions too. No wonder he has caught the attention of Antonio Conte.
Chelsea’s repertoire is already blessed with a pool of talented and young forwards such as Dominic Solanke, Lucas Piazon and most notably, Michy Batshuayi, who was signed in the summer from Marseille. Moreover, Conte has deployed their highly rated midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a forward during the pre-season. Evidently, the former Juventus and Italy boss is coming up with something for the future too.
The Sweden under-21 international player is certainly enjoying the hype as more and more scouts are flocking in the Friends Arena in Solna to watch him play and most of them have returned home with reports of nothing but impressed.
It’s pretty exciting to see how the big guns are wrestling down each other looking at the impact the striker could offer in future. Some are suggesting that Isak should be considering regular playing time and remain a little longer with his current club before moving to a fresher and bigger podium. Over the years, many teams were star-struck with young players and splashed a decent amount of money, yet what looked like the next big thing only derailed the player’s future nowhere.
However, under the governance of Conte, who has worked with a plethora of world-class strikers, Isak can easily hit the ground running and justify his price-tag.