Isak has clearly expressed his desire to leave Newcastle.

Amid ongoing controversy about Swedish striker Alexander Isak’s future with Newcastle United, it appears that Real Madrid has suddenly joined the interest in the 25-year-old forward, adding a new dimension to the summer transfer race.

Isak has shown a clear desire to leave Newcastle and join Liverpool, which made a £120 million offer, but the English club rejected the deal, prompting the player to temporarily miss the team’s Asia tour, pressuring the club’s management to approve his departure.

According to a report from a beIN SPORTS correspondent, Real Madrid has become one of the clubs placing Isak at the top of their target list to strengthen their attack, especially after he scored 27 goals and assisted 6 in 42 matches last season.

It is noteworthy that Isak previously played in the Spanish league with Real Sociedad between 2019 and 2022 before moving to Newcastle in a deal worth £60 million.

Tactically, Real Madrid faces a challenge in integrating Isak into Xabi Alonso’s lineup, as the team currently relies on Kylian Mbappé on the left wing and Vinícius Júnior in attack, which may make combining the three in the attack difficult except if they return to the 4-4-2 system used by former coach Carlo Ancelotti.

In the end, Real Madrid seems to face a tough choice: entering the race to sign a world-class striker at high prices to strengthen the attack versus the necessity to rearrange its attacking lines to achieve the required balance on the field.