Alexander Isak flew into England on Wednesday night ahead of completing his £60million move to Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe’s side are close to smashing their club record transfer fee with a deal for Real Sociedad striker Isak, who is set to undergo his medical with the Magpies on Thursday.
Talks advanced on Wednesday after the Spanish side indicated they would be willing to accept structured payments on the transfer to help Newcastle navigate financial fairplay concerns.
The Magpies’ sporting director Dan Ashworth was in Spain on Tuesday to finalise terms with the 22-year-old Sweden international, who has long been top of Newcastle’s wishlist but was always considered a difficult transfer to pull off.
The club record fee eclipses the £40m they paid Hoffenheim for Joelinton in 2019 and Lyon for Bruno Guimaraes in January.
Newcastle have been prioritising a new forward with Callum Wilson’s fitness an ongoing concern, with the 30-year-old limping off with a hamstring injury during Sunday’s enthralling 3-3 draw with Manchester City.
Isak has scored 44 goals in 132 games for Sociedad after joining the club in 2019 from Borussia Dortmund and the 22-year-old represents a real high-calibre addition.
The Swedish international will also be the most expensive sale in the history of the Spanish side.
Isak will join Wilson and Wood as the senior forward options at St James’ Park, as Newcastle look to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
They have five points from three games after a win against Nottingham Forest and draws against Man City and Brighton, while they also beat Tranmere Rovers 2-1 on Wednesday to progress in the Carabao Cup.
Newcastle have been in talks with Leeds United for winger Jack Harrison and were pushing for agreement with Watford over a £30m deal for Joao Pedro.
However, with negotiations stalling over bonuses and fees, they seized the opportunity to focus on 6ft 4ins Isak, who is regarded as one of the best forward prospects in Europe and has attracted attention from Arsenal and Juventus.
Isak will become the club’s fourth signing after the additions of Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Nick Pope so far this summer.