Newcastle board unanimously agree on next target with club record bid needed

Newcastle United could break their club transfer record to bring Sweden striker Alexander Isak to Tyneside.

The Magpies have had a busy window already as the club looks to prepare for a first full season under their new owners. Matt Targett's loan move from Aston Villa was made permanent, while deals have also been hatched to bring Sven Botman and Nick Pope to St James' Park.

Newcastle are also after attacking recruits, though, after not a single player reached double figures for the club. According to The Telegraph, Isak is top of their list, but it's likely to require a club-record fee to seal the deal.

Newcastle have already broken their transfer record once since coming under new ownership midway through last season. However, Isak would set them back even more than the £42m they will end up paying for Bruno Guimaraes if all the add-ons for the Brazilian are met.

The Telegraph's report suggests Eddie Howe's side are finding it tough to find the right targets in attack after splashing out £60m on a new goalkeeper and two defenders. Chris Wood was the only forward to join in January, while Lyon star Lucas Paqueta has been linked this summer.

Isak, who was targeted by fellow Premier League side Arsenal in January, could be the answer. The Swedish striker has scored 43 times in 130 appearances for Spanish side Real Sociedad, and nine times for his country at senior international level.

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The striker, who showed his quality for Sweden at Euro 2020, has thrived in Spain after an ill-fated move to Borussia Dortmund as a teenager. However, after scoring eight goals for club and country last season before the end of October, he added just five more in the following seven months.

La Real are looking for "big, big money" according to the Telegraph report. That certainly means more than £42m, but could end up being more than £50m - an amount thought to represent the bulk of the club's remaining summer budget.

Newcastle's top goalscorer last season was Callum Wilson, who scored eight times despite injuries restricting him to just 18 appearances. They are hoping to confirm a contract extension with the striker, who played under Howe at Bournemouth before moving north.

January signing Wood scored just twice after arriving from Burnley, while Joelinton - signed as a forward in 2019, netted four times from his new role in midfield. Isak isn't the only new attacker being targeted. Enquiries have been made regarding Everton and England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while Bayer Leverkusen's former Paris Saint-Germain winger Moussa Diaby is also on Newcastle's radar, but both men would likely set them back a similar amount as that being quoted for Isak.