In order to avoid losing the striker to a Premier League opponent, Arsenal would be prudent to take note of the signal that one of their transfer targets is still sending out while serving for his country.
After Eddie Nketiah left the team, sporting director Edu and head coach Mikel Arteta had expressed interest in adding more players to the Gunners’ front line, even though Kai Havertz had been playing well at the centre.
Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, for example, were rumoured to be leaving North London for Saudi Arabia and Turkey, respectively. Raheem Sterling, a striker signed on a deadline day loan from Chelsea, was the lone forward added to Arsenal.
They may have set on their hands in the hope of landing a marquee striker further down the line, be that in January or next summer, while Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres is certainly putting his hand up to be considered for that role.
Gyokeres has been playing well and has stayed at the Portuguese club despite reports of interest from Chelsea and Arsenal. After scoring a brace for his nation against Estonia, the Swede has already contributed 15 goals in seven games this season—10 goals and five assists.
His stock continues to rise and if Arsenal do want the 26-year-old former Coventry star to head to the Emirates, they had better start laying the groundwork soon or risk his price tag skyrocketing and their rivals moving ahead of them in the race for his signature.
Another option who could be on the market next summer is Alexander Isak, if Newcastle do not qualify for European football once again this season, Gyokeres’ strike partner for Sweden.
Isak has been a long-standing Arsenal target and they were heavily linked with the 24-year-old while he was at Real Sociedad. But they will be impressed by the classy gesture he made to another of their targets, Gyokeres, while playing together for their country.
Isak scored two goals in the space of six minutes to help Sweden secure a 3-1 win over Azerbaijan last week and had the chance to bag a hat-trick when they were later awarded a penalty.
But in an act of kindness that showed Isak’s selfless side, Isak handed the ball to Gyokeres to get on the scoresheet, as opposed to being desperate to get a third himself.
“We talked about it,” explained Isak. “We both wanted to take the penalty but I said that he had assisted me two times so he could take the penalty, otherwise I would probably have wanted to have a hat-trick. Sometimes you need to be generous.
“It was two fantastic assists from Viktor. We talked before [the match] that we need to have a good connection between each other and I think that we showed that today.”
