Chelsea turn attention to 25-goal striker who Pep Guardiola admits he 'admires' after Micheal Olise snub

Chelsea have shown no sign of slowing down in the ongoing transfer window and have reportedly inquired about the situation of Newcastle’s Swedish forward Alexander Isak, according to the Daily Mail.

The 24-year-old scored 25 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions for Eddie Howe’s side, with 21 of those goals coming in the Premier League. He was the standout player in a challenging campaign where Newcastle played in the Champions League but missed out on European football for next season after injuries ravaged their squad at crucial times.

NewcastleWorld claims that the club is extremely unlikely to sell a player who has scored 35 times in 67 appearances since joining for a club-record fee of £63 million from Real Sociedad two seasons ago. Isak was also linked to Arsenal in January and is highly admired by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who kept an eye on him when he was still playing in the Spanish La Liga.

Guardiola is quoted by Newcastletoons after Isak scored against Manchester City last season: “We started to follow him at Real Sociedad. We were impressed. He was a target. Wow. He is a young player, but with these skills, all the clubs around the world take a look. It's not a surprise, and he's adapted really well here in the Premier League. I don't know him personally, but I admire him a lot."

Chelsea’s Search for a Striker

Chelsea began the transfer window by being linked to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen before quickly ruling him out due to his high price tag. They then saw their interest in RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko dissipate after he signed a new five-year deal to remain at the German club.

Since then, they have been linked to Jhon Duran of Aston Villa, Jonathan David, Marc Guiu, and now Isak. They also saw Crystal Palace star Michael Olise snub them for Bayern Munich. One thing is certain, the Blues are looking to strengthen after missing out on Champions League football last season.