Arsenal facing Viktor Gyokeres transfer scrutiny as Liverpool plot £120m Alexander Isak swoop

Arsenal are closing in on ending their long-awaited chase for a centre-forward and just when the mood had lifted amongst supporters, they have been dealt a touch of reality again. Viktor Gyokeres is indeed close to making his switch to north London with the final details of the dealnow all but sealed, however, something else has grabbed the attention of fans.

Liverpool are reportedly set to make an approach to sign long-term Arsenal target Alexander Isak. Suggestions are that the Reds are considering a bid in excess of £120million to land the striker who Newcastle United maintain is not for sale.

The Magpies have been keen on Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and have already seen one bid rejected for the young Frenchman. However, Liverpool are seemingly using this to their advantage and should a move not happen for Isak, they might instead attempt to hijack the Magpies’ move for their own forward target.

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Arsenal meanwhile can do little but sit and watch as the two clubs, three counting Frankfurt, work out exactly who is going where, if at all and for how much. The Gunners have committed fees to the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard with two further signings in Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera expected to be confirmed this week to take spending beyond £130million.

The signing of Gyokeres is expected to take the figure close to the club’s record spend but they are not yet finished. The club are keen on adding a third attacking player to the group with Eberechi Eze the primary candidate who has a £67.5million release clause.

The irony in all this is that some supporters have already began scrutinising the club for not waiting to see if the potential move for Isak was even a possibility. Newcastle have maintained all summer that the Swede would not be sold, unless a rather ridiculous fee came in.

Bayern Munich have had a bid of £58million for Luis Diaz rejected themselves but the player is thought to be keen on a summer exit. Having spent very little in 2024, the Reds have plenty of room on top of becoming Premier League champions.

Even after the signings of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, it appears Arne Slot still has plenty more room to splash the cash. Arsenal, however, do not, and even if they want to move for Eze, suggestions are the club might need to do some selling first with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Karl Hein and Albert Sambi Lokonga all tipped for the exit.

Despite it truly being only halfway through the window, Gyokeres coming in so close to the club’s flight to Asia on July 19 for pre-season has in itself faced scrutiny. The hilarity that now they might be further pressured for not waiting for Isak to suddenly emerge could not be written, yet here we are.

The money being spent on Isak could, if Newcastle are to get the supposed £150millon asking price, effectively cover the cost of Gyokeres, Madueke and potentially Eze, if not being slightly less. But these three players are bringing a lot to the table for the Gunners.

Not to mention the close to 40 matches Isak has missed for club and country since signing for Newcastle in 2022, an investment of that size carries risk, a risk escalated by a player’s track record with injuries. Liverpool are aiming to strengthen even further it seems and Mikel Arteta and Arsenal need to do what they can to combat it with yet more business this summer.