Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak needs to ‘bulk up’ if he is to lead the Magpies’ line.
That is the view of former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore, who believes the Sweden international is ‘too lean’ to be a leading lone Premier League striker.
Isak, 23, joined the Northeast giants last summer in a deal worth a whopping £63m from Real Sociedad (Sky Sports).
However, after suffering an injury early into his Newcastle career, the 23-year-old has taken some time to get up to speed with the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.
Although fit and recovered, Isak has remained a peripheral figure with Eddie Howe opting to start Callum Wilson ahead of the club’s record-signing, but Collymore isn’t sure that either man is right for the job.
“I’m not convinced either of them are good enough to lead the Magpies’ attack on their own,” Collymore said in an exclusive interview.
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“They both have their own attributes to offer, but I’m just not sure either player is the type to wear the iconic number nine shirt and bag 20-plus goals a season.
“Isak, especially, looks the type who needs to play alongside someone else. He needs to bulk up over the summer too. He looks a little bit too lean at the moment to be a leading lone striker in the notoriously physical league that is the Premier League.
“If Newcastle do qualify for Europe next season, which is looking likely, that would obviously mean they need a bigger squad with multiple options and I don’t think either Wilson or Isak would be Howe’s preferred forward, so should they have a successful campaign this year, I expect them to target another striker ahead of the next one.”
With Harry Kane’s Spurs future once again thrown into doubt, Collymore has previously urged the Magpies to enter the race for the prolific Englishman and Geordie fans will certainly agree. Whether or not Kane, who will be 30 in the summer, believes Newcastle can offer him the silverware his career demands is another matter though.
