Arsenal chiefs are keen to strengthen their options at centre-forward and have identified Real Sociedad frontman Alexander Isak as a target.
That’s according to The Athletic , which claims Isak, 21, has caught the eye of Gunners technical director Edu.
The Sweden international scored 17 goals in La Liga this season, including a spectacular flurry of nine goals in six games across January and February.
The report adds Isak is protected by £60.2million release clause, while the towering striker has three years remaining on his contract with Sociedad.
Reports claim Kylian Mbappe was so enraged at Olivier Giroud for his comments about the pair’s link-up on Tuesday night that he wanted to make an angry statement in a press conference on it.
France sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bulgaria in their final Euro 2020 warm-up game on Tuesday evening.
But after the match Giroud, who came on as a substitute and scored twice late on, complained about the lack of service from his France teammates.
“I was a little quiet because, sometimes, I make runs and the balls aren’t forthcoming,” Giroud told L’Equipe du Soir.
“I am not saying that I always make the best runs, but I am seeking to offer solutions in the box.”
And according to L’Equipe, Mbappe felt ‘attacked’ and ‘angry’ following Giroud’s observations and the Paris Saint-Germain forward wanted to give a statement to the media about the Chelsea striker’s criticism.
Didier Deschamps attempted to diffuse the situation after France’s win over Bulgaria by claiming that Giroud’s comments were not aimed at Mbappe.
“If you received the ball after each time you called for it, it is always the same, the attacker says, ‘I am making runs but it’s on the midfield’. The midfielders will say that it is on the attackers,” said Deschamps.
“Sometimes, the pass isn’t forthcoming, sometimes it is down the movement. But this is not a stigmatisation of Kylian or whoever.
“Kylian, I spoke to him at half-time. He knows it very well, Olivier does not have the same profile as Karim.
“He has a more axial position of pivot, while in the first half, the three could switch to be in any zone.
“Olivier does not have the same profile. They have choices to make, they don’t always have to be interpreted. If they take an individual action instead of passing, it is up to them to choose, when it is not the game that imposes on them.”
However, Mbappe’s frustrated body language during the Bulgaria victory was criticised by former France international Johan Micoud, who accused the Paris Saint-Germain winger of being ‘all about you’ even when the team is doing well.
Speaking about Mbappe, Micoud said: ‘It’s becoming embarrassing. And even when he came off.
‘You have just played two warm-up matches, it has gone very well and when he came off the pitch it was as if the team had lost 4-0. At some point it is not all about you.’
Mbappe and Giroud need to get over any rift between themselves quickly as France have a difficult European Championship group in front of them.
