Have Dortmund Signed The Next Zlatan?
Borussia Dortmund have beaten Real Madrid to the signing of Swedish sensation Alexander Isak.
Los Blancos were all ready to land the 17-year-old last week, and prepared a five-year deal for the AIK striker. However with only his signature left to seal the deal, Isak grew uncertain over whether a move to the Spanish capital was the best move for his career, allowing Dortmund to pounce, and add Isak to the growing list of emerging young talents at the Westfalenstadion.
Isak signed on the dotted line alongside BVB general manager Michael Zorc, after arriving in Dortmund on Sunday for final talks and a look around the club’s facilities.
"Alexander Isak is a high calibre young talent who was wanted by numerous top European clubs," said Zorc. "We are delighted that he has decided to join Borussia Dortmund.
"Both BVB and the player himself are convinced that this transfer has great potential.”
He joins a clutch of highly-rated young players now under Thomas Tuchel's tutelage, including Ousmane Dembele, Christian Pulisic, Emre Mor and Julian Weigl.
The German side have paid £8.6million to land the striker, who has been earning unbelievable reviews in his homeland, having broken through at Swedish side AIK last year. Isak also made his senior international debut last week and scored - becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the national team.
Isak has been widely-hailed as his country’s biggest talent since Zlatan, after making his breakthrough in the Allsvenskan last year at the age of 16.
Scouts from across Europe have flocked to the Friends Arena to watch the youngster's rise, which included a brace in the derby win over Djurgardens.
According to one Swedish newspaper, as many as 67 representatives of clubs across the continent were in attendance when AIK travelled to Gothenbourg in October.
When Isak didn't ink a deal to move to La Liga, the Bundesliga side made their move, establishing that he would be a member of the club’s first-team squad.
Following the departure of Adrian Ramos, Isak will act as back-up to leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the remainder of the season - with the leading man's future uncertain beyond the summer.
Isak, who stands 6ft 3in, scored 10 goals in 24 league games last term as AIK finished second in the league, six points behind winners Malmo.
His maiden strike, coming on his full league debut last April, made him the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Swedish top flight.
Last week, Isak made his international debut against Ivory Coast, before scoring in his second appearance, as an experimental Swedish side beat Slovakia.
That made him his country’s youngest scorer, at 17 years 113 days, breaking a record that had stood for 105 years.
The Swedish international clearly has lots of potential and most youngsters snapped up by Dortmund often reach that. Do you think the 17 year old ever will be as good as Zlatan?