In recent days reports have emerged that clubs around Europe have already been left stunned by the swift and aggressive approach Arsenal are taking to the transfer window under Andrea Berta.
For those who support the club, this should be music to their ears. The January window was a slow and laboured affair, one that ultimately ended without a single incoming. Rewind to last summer and while faces like David Raya, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori all arrived, a centre forward continued to elude them.
So, what does this summer have in store? Berta needs a striker. Mikel Arteta needs a striker. Arsenal need a striker. Not signing one would be disastrous.
Arsenal’s striker shortlist this summer
Pick one of the top strikers in European football and it’s likely the Gunners will have been linked with them.
The dream signing, obviously, is Alexander Isak but if Newcastle secure Champions League football, the Swede feels even more untouchable than he already is.
So, alternatives will be required and in long-term target Benjamin Sesko, they may find their man. Reports from David Ornstein last week indicated that they have ‘done a lot of work’ on potentially signing the Slovenian.
But, Berta’s pick would appear to be another Swede in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, a man possessed in front of goal over the last two seasons.
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Reports over the last week or so have suggested that Arsenal are locked in talks to sign the forward from Portuguese outfit Sporting CP, but fresh news now indicates a deal is moving closer to completion.
One reporter in France claims that ‘Gyokeres and Arsenal have reached full agreement’ over personal terms and that the ‘Sporting striker wants to join Arsenal’ this summer.
Exciting news indeed. So, what could he offer besides goals?
How Viktor Gyokeres compares to Alexander Isak
In the words of data analyst Spencer Mossman, Gyokeres is certainly “the best finisher in the world” at the moment.
It’s hard to dispute that claim, especially considering the remarkable form the 26-year-old has been in since trading Coventry City of England’s second-tier for the Portuguese top-flight.
In that final campaign with Coventry, the hulking centre-forward found the net on 22 occasions and once departing, he has truly exploded, scoring 43 goals in 50 outings last term and registering a jaw-dropping 53 goals in 51 outings throughout 2024/25.
It is hardly a surprise to see that he is leading the race for the European Golden Boot. He’s streets ahead of Isak for goal involvements, which rather says it all.
The Toon forward has been seriously impressive in his own right but boasts a meagre haul of 27 goals in all competitions in comparison. Impressive, of course, but this is a man who may also cost in the region of £150m. In Gyokeres, Arsenal would be getting more bang for their buck, so to speak.
Arsenal need a goalscorer, however, and there is an argument to suggest that they could be getting a more complete package here.
|
Gyokeres vs Isak in 2024/25 |
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|---|---|---|
|
Metric (per 90 mins) |
Gyokeres |
Isak |
|
Shots |
4.07 |
3.11 |
|
Passes completed |
16.2 |
16.7 |
|
Pass success % |
71% |
74% |
|
Key passes |
1.96 |
1.39 |
|
Progressive passes |
2.18 |
2.84 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
4.90 |
3.07 |
|
Successful take-ons |
1.92 |
1.42 |
|
Progressive carries |
4.20 |
2.77 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1.15 |
0.88 |
|
Stats via FBRef. |
||
One thing that’s necessary to state is that Isak is playing in a better league, but even so, some of the numbers Gyokeres is registering in Iberia are simply off the charts.
While he’s scoring more than one goal per game, he’s proving to be more creative than Isak – although only just – he carries the ball more regularly and he’s more likely to win you an aerial duel. That final statistic could be key considering what Arteta has asked of the likes of Kai Havertz and Merino as his central strikers.
That said, data analyst Ben Mattinson has shared what he describes as a few “red flags”.
A heavy first touch and his inability to turn on a dime could well be turn-offs, particularly considering the explosiveness of Isak, but first and foremost, Arsenal need goals.
Gyokeres has provided that in abundance over the last few years and if his fellow Swede turns out to be off the table, he could well be Arsenal’s very own Isak anyway; a proven goalscorer set to take the Premier League by storm.
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