Alexander Isak was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal ahead of this summer’s transfer window.
The Sweden international is one of the best strikers in world football, and every Gooner would’ve loved to have him at the Emirates Stadium.
However, a deal to sign Isak proved to be too difficult, and Andrea Berta moved on to his other targets very early in the window.
Viktor Gyokeres became the chosen one, and the 27-year-old has officially arrived as a new Arsenal player.
A move for Isak was disregarded long before the Gyokeres deal was put into motion.
Nobody at Arsenal gave the Alexander Isak move ‘a moment’s thought’
If you had given Mikel Arteta the wish of signing one player for Arsenal this summer, we think he would’ve gone with Alexander Isak.
The Newcastle United star possesses all the qualities you would want in a striker, and the fact that he has delivered in the Premier League makes him an even safer bet.
However, Isak will cost a fortune this summer.
Liverpool have already had a £120 million bid rejected for the Sweden international striker, with Newcastle holding out for a fee closer to £150 million.
Those finances are the reason why Arsenal decided against making a move – everyone at the club knew a couple of months ago that this deal was never going to happen.
That’s according to Sami Mokbel, who said on The Highbury Squad YouTube channel: “At the start of the window, there were three options.
“It was Alexander Isak, which was the dream signing, but what I’ve since discovered was that yes, it was the dream signing, but realistically, I don’t think anyone at Arsenal really thought it was going to happen.
“And certainly, some of the information I’ve had very recently has suggested that it really didn’t get off the ground because of the finances involved.
“No one at Arsenal really gave it a moment’s thought apart from it being, I don’t want to say a pipe dream because there are certain individuals at the club who wanted to make it work, but I think the numbers involved in that deal just meant it was unrealistic.”
Alexander Isak vs Viktor Gyokeres stats for Sweden
Gyokeres’ numbers at club level over the last two seasons destroy Isak’s, but it has to be said that the new Arsenal number 14 played in an inferior league.
But, how do his numbers for his country compare against those of his compatriot?
| Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes per goal or assist | |
| Viktor Gyokeres for Sweden | 26 | 15 | 6 | 74.6 |
| Alexander Isak for Sweden | 52 | 16 | 7 | 148.2 |
Isak is a world-class player, but Gyokeres’ output outshines the Newcastle United star – he takes nearly half as many minutes as Isak does to directly contribute to a goal for Sweden.
Arsenal fans would’ve loved Isak, but we think they should not sleep on Gyokeres. He is a brilliant player and could end up becoming a star for the Gunners this season.
from Arsenal Transfer News | Rumours, Deals & Targets | Arsenal Insider
Shamanth Jayaram