"Already knows": William Gallas tells Arsenal to sign 26-goal striker instead of Viktor Gyokeres

Former Arsenal captain William Gallas has urged the Gunners’ hierarchy to focus on signing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak this summer.

The Gunners have had a disappointing Premier League campaign, and they have already missed out on the title to Liverpool with four games to play.

The lack of a marquee striker has cost them dearly, and the board are expected to provide a high-profile solution for manager Mikel Arteta this summer.

It has been regularly reported in Portugal that Arsenal have shown ‘most interest’ in Viktor Gyokeres and they are favourites to sign him ahead of Manchester City and Liverpool.

In an interview, Gallas said that Gyokeres has been one of the hottest strikers in Europe for two seasons, but he doubts his credentials to succeed in the English top flight.

The former France international added that the Gunners need a striker who can score immediately and should explore a deal for Isak, who has adapted to the league.

He said: “You can be good in your club, in your league, but when you go to the Premier League, it’s different.

“Nobody can deny that Gyokeres hasn’t been one of the hottest strikers in Europe for two seasons now, but he’s been doing it in Portugal.

“The argument would be that he has scored goals in the Champions League, but there are still doubts about his pedigree in the Premier League.

“Isak, at Newcastle, he was not good at the beginning. He was a good player, but he didn’t have that performance level that he has right now.

“You need to know if you can give your players time to adapt. But sometimes you can’t wait, you need a striker who can score right away.

“That would be my concern about Gyokeres. I would go for Isak, because he is already proven in the Premier League.

“He’s already posing problems and already knows how to deal with the opponents.”

Gyokeres has been in exceptional form for Sporting CP. He has accumulated 52 goals and 12 assists from just 48 appearances for the Portuguese champions this campaign.

The Swede has netted six hat-tricks for the Lisbon giants. He looks poised to pursue a bigger challenge during the summer, and Arsenal seem to be frontrunners to sign him.

The club have a ‘strong interest’ in his services and new sporting director Andrea Berta is a big admirer.

Gyokeres has a gentleman’s agreement to leave Sporting CP for around £60 million this summer.

In comparison, Isak has 26 goals and six assists from 39 appearances for the Magpies this term.

Gyokeres’ compatriot has made huge progress over the past few years to become one of the stand-out strikers in the Premier League alongside Erling Braut Haaland.

As Gallas said, Isak would be a perfect fit compared to Gyokeres. The latter has been scoring goals for fun, but he would face a sterner challenge in the English top-flight.

The 26-year-old has had freedom to run behind defences at Sporting CP. At Arsenal, he will face a tough task with clubs preferring to play with a low defensive block.

Isak would be an ideal acquisition, but we don’t see a deal happening this summer. The Magpies value him at a staggering £150 million and may not negotiate on that figure.

Eddie Howe’s side are on course to qualify for the Champions League which could further strengthen their stance on the valuation as Isak has three years left on his contract.

Arsenal are more likely to sign Gyokeres over Isak this summer. The club could utilise the additional funds to sign a versatile winger to provide strong competition for places.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

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