Barcelona have reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.
The Sweden international has established himself as an important player at Newcastle since he joined the Magpies from Real Sociedad in a club-record £63m deal in the summer of 2022.
After scoring 11 goals in 29 appearances during his first season in the North-East, Isak has gone on to rack up 21 goals in 34 matches across the current campaign.
Isak has produced 17 of those strikes in the Premier League, leaving him joint-fifth in the scoring charts alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
While he may be a key part of the Newcastle side, there has been a suggestion that the Magpies could entertain offers for Isak in the summer.
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Barcelona set to rival Arsenal for Isak
Newcastle CEO Darren Eales has previously revealed the club may have to sell some of its prized assets to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules and generate funds for future transfers.
Arsenal have emerged as one of the contenders to sign the Swedish striker, with the Gunners looking to bolster their current forward options of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.
However, The Sun are reporting that Barcelona are set to rival Arsenal for Isak's signature ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
With Isak under contract until the summer of 2028, the report claims that Newcastle would be looking to receive a fee in the region of £90m.
Due to their well-documented financial issues, the Catalan giants would be keen to negotiate a lower transfer fee for Isak.
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Barcelona identify Isak as Lewandowski replacement
Robert Lewandowski is currently Barcelona's first-choice centre-forward, having scored 53 goals in 89 games since his arrival from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022.
The veteran forward has started 26 of his 29 La Liga appearances this season, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists.
However, with Lewandowski set to turn 36 in August, Barcelona have seemingly earmarked Isak as a long-term replacement for the Poland international.
Isak has previous experience playing in Spain after scoring 44 goals in 132 appearances during a three-year spell with Real Sociedad.
