Next Star Up

Unlike most teams across Europe, Borussia Dortmund produces talented youngsters, but it does have a few flaws. Breaking out at the same time as Emre Mor, Alexander Isak appeared ready to join a list of Dortmund busts with the Turk.

After finding his footing in Spain, the Swede is now dominating the Prem. 

Five years ago, Isak arrived in Spain as a promising but raw player straight from Dortmund. Given that the German club gave up on him relatively early, most expected Isak to follow the career of Mor.

Newcastle poached him to lead their revival after the Saudi takeover. At the time, the deal came with a certain amount of risk. Over his time in Spain, Isak struggled with consistency, but he still showed enough promise to lead an offense.

The transition to the Prem proved to be rather seamless as he grew from strength to strength. While he may not catch Salah for the Golden Boot, there is little doubt that he is one of the most exciting strikers in the World. He is still yet to enter his prime, so, shockingly, his name isn’t featured as a top transfer candidate.

For a project that continues to struggle to find success, Isak is a testament to Newcastle’s scouting.

Many saw the Swede as too inconsistent to lead a front line, but in the Prem, his style fit perfectly.

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There existed a brief period of time when Dortmund struggled to truly develop the next set of youngsters. Before Bellingham and Sancho, the likes of Isak and Maximilian Philipp failed to carry the torch forward in the post-Klopp era.

Isak never fully got a chance in Germany with Dortmund, having little hope of filling the club’s issues up top. A loan in the Dutch league gave clubs around Europe enough of a look to believe in the player. It appeared that it was only a matter of time before a club came calling for the youngster.

Like fellow Dortmund wonderkid, Spanish shores offered Isak a chance to fully develop. With Real Sociedad looking to rebuild around some intriguing young pieces, the Swede fits perfectly with what the club hoped for. Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Oyarzabal headlined the project that hoped Isak would be the key for some sort of contention.

While he never won anything with Reala, Isak’s 2020/21 season was enough to push him onto the radar of larger clubs. Yes, inconsistency still dogged him, but in a league that suited him well enough, Isak could be unlocked.

Plenty of clubs around Europe wanted to take a gamble on the striker, but he became the key piece to the Saudi takeover of Newcastle. Needing that young cornerstone to build around, they opted to bring in the Swede.  He encountered a few bumps in his first season; however, they never truly scared away his believers.

After an incredible second season, 2024/25 promised to be the season where he finally became a top-three striker in the league. So far, Isak only falls behind Haaland. Even if he fails to win the Golden Boot, this season showed the World that the Swede might be the next striker to make a big move.

Plenty of clubs around Europe desperately need a legit striker, but none seemed to go towards Isak in January.

That may change in the summer, especially if he wins the Golden Boot.

In almost every way possible, Isak represents the modern striker—a silky-smooth player who impacts the game in almost any way.

The stat sheet shows that his impact since joining the Magpies has been immense. By the end of this season, he will have two twenty-plus goal seasons within three years of joining the Prem. If he pushes close to 30, which feels possible, Isak’s two-season stretch will be special.

Being able to beat players on the dribble or with an elite reading of the game to connect on crosses or passes, Isak combines the traditional and modern forms of strikers. He is truly exceptional at getting past his defender via the dribble; this relieves pressure off his teammates in terms of buildup play. Again, this follows the trend of strikers essentially using the skillset of a winger to elevate their game.

A striker of his size remains a threat on the end of any cross or pass, being able to time connections perfectly. With this mixture of skills, it becomes no mystery that his advanced stats show him as one of the league’s most impactful players.

Another aspect of his game that makes him so valuable is being an elite passer for his position. While this is the first season in recent memory where he has equaled five assists, he is still excellent in the buildup. Howe uses Isak as a connective piece in the attack, making him the key cog that hums the engine.

If Isak leaves Newcastle this summer, one has to imagine that the list of suitors would be long. Given his seamless fit for most teams, he must be Arsenal’s top choice. For a side dying for a real striker, Isak would give Arsenal that final piece to really make them actual title contenders.

Alexander Isak fits the profile of the modern striker.

Combining the ability to dribble and pass with the understanding of the game to latch onto any pass, he is showing why he deserves to be seen as a top-three striker in the Prem.

Newcastle gambled on a striker who showed glimpses of star potential but had yet to be truly consistent. Isak rewarded them by making them the second-best striker in the Prem.

If Newcastle fails to secure a Champions League spot, watch out for a top club to snap up the Swede.

PHOTO: NUFC Blog/Facebook