Paul Scholes has warned Mikel Arteta that Arsenal may not be a big enough destination for their top striker target, Alexander Isak.
The Swedish forward has been in sensational form for Newcastle this season, netting 17 Premier League goals, but Scholes believes he should aim for an even bigger club.
Arsenal attempted to strengthen their attack in January but were priced out of a move for Isak, with Newcastle demanding over £100m. A late approach for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins also fell through.
Now, the Gunners are expected to make a major push for a striker in the summer, with Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko among their top targets.
Speaking on The Overlap, Scholes dismissed the idea of Isak moving to Arsenal, insisting that he belongs at a higher level.
“Everyone loves him, but I don’t see him going to Arsenal,” Scholes said. “He needs to aim bigger and better—Real Madrid, Liverpool, maybe even Manchester City. Arsenal would be an option, but not at the top of his list.”
Scholes argued that while Newcastle is a great team, they won’t be winning league titles anytime soon. “That’s the next step in his career. Moving to Arsenal would be risky if he just ends up in the same situation.”
When pressed by Jamie Carragher on whether he thinks Isak is “better than Arsenal,” Scholes doubled down. “Yeah. He’d improve Arsenal, he could even help them win the league. But I just think he has bigger options available.
Arsenal was one of the few Premier League clubs to remain inactive in the January transfer window, a decision Arteta admitted left him “disappointed.”
“We had a clear intention to improve the squad, but we couldn’t achieve it,” Arteta said. “We only want certain types of players, and we have to be disciplined about that.”
Arsenal’s lack of reinforcements came at a tough time. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle with a 4-0 aggregate defeat in the semi-finals and currently sit six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Their next challenge comes on Saturday against Leicester City, where they’ll be looking to close the gap at the top.