UPDATE 》Isak, Gyokeres or Sesko: Which striker should Arsenal be trying to sign?

Isak, Gyokeres or Sesko: Which striker should Arsenal be trying to sign?

Arsenal desperate to sign a new striker during the summer transfer window

Gunners crying out for clinical number nine to take them to next level

Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko among their

Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko have all been linked

It’s been apparent for some time that Arsenal’s glaring weakness is their distinct lack of an orthodox striker, yet several windows have passed without the Gunners remedying the issue.

A desperate attempt to sign Ollie Watkins during the January window proved Arsenal’s willingness to bolster the number nine position, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus their only options. Both are far from clinical and currently injured, leaving makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino leading the line.

It seems inevitable that Mikel Arteta will finally be granted the shiny new striker he has long yearned for during the upcoming summer window, with the Premier League having now officially revealed the opening and closing dates for the transfer market.

The three names that have been most consistently linked with filling the void at the Emirates Stadium all fit a similar profile. The towering and powerful trio of Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko appear Arsenal’s preferred candidates.

But which of the forwards should Arsenal pursue this summer?

Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak will fill the gossip columns this summer

Arsenal have been burned by the brilliance of Isak first hand. The Newcastle United sharpshooter has scored in two of the three meetings between the clubs this season, with the Gunners not alone in struggling to contain the Sweden international.

Isak is a generational talent. Such is his quality, he’s drawn lofty comparisons to Thierry Henry previously, and they certainly boast similar attributes. A slender but imposing frame, lightning speed, the willingness to dart in behind defenders and an astounding consistency when taking aim at the opposition goal. They are the definition of a centre-back’s nightmare.

Isak is tried and tested in the Premier League, offering him an advantage over his positional peers and fellow Arsenal targets. A tally of ten in his fairly tame debut season was followed by 21 in the English top flight last term, with Isak only two strikes from matching that tally this year. The quality and regularity of his finishing make him an unstoppable threat in full flow.

He’s made William Saliba and Virgil van Dijk – the Premier League’s two best central defenders – look mortal in recent duels and has the capacity to improve further given he’s just 25. That’s a frightening prospect and the reason he will command a nine-figure sum this summer.

Viktor Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres is likely on the move this summer

Brighton & Hove Albion make few missteps in the transfer market, but allowing Gyokeres to depart for just £1m in 2021 was a glaring error. The Sweden international, who has shared minutes with Isak for the national team, has since thrived at Coventry City and now Sporting CP, the latter where he’s developed into a different beast altogether.

He scored a staggering 43 times in all competitions with the Lisbon giants last term, helping guide them to the Liga Portugal title. He’s been in more devastating form this season – 40 goals in just 41 outings so far – even with the departure of mentor Ruben Amorim. Finding the net will not be an issue for Gyokeres, who is already accustomed to the rough and tumble of English football.

Arsenal are clearly targeting an athletic and powerful striker this summer and Gyokeres would be an ideal fit. The 26-year-old boasts immense upper body strength and is capable of acting as facilitator for those around him, yet possesses the searing pace to exploit high lines and poor defensive positioning. He’s also a useful channel runner with the frame to keep possession with his back to goal.

Gyokeres will be another who costs an eye-watering sum and with his contract running until 2028, Sporting will be in no rush to sell their prized asset. But sometimes you have to splash the cash to maximise your potential and it would not be money wasted for Arsenal.

Benjamin Sesko

Arsenal have long admired Bejamin Sesko

Sesko is certainly the least attractive of the three forward options. The RB Leipzig striker is immensely talented and, at 21, has age on his side, but he lacks the wow factor that Isak and Gyokeres currently possess. That will likely come in time but patience may be required if Arsenal were to acquire the Slovenian dynamo from RB Leipzig.

Sesko has ascended through the Red Bull talent factory and was wanted by Arsenal prior to Euro 2024 last summer following an 18-goal campaign. He’s destined to better that tally this term but his numbers will almost certainly pale in comparison to both Isak and Gyokeres.

The 6’5 starlet certainly has the potential to dominate European football for the next decade and will likely be the most affordable of the three strikers. Also boasting earth-shattering speed and a rocket-fuelled right boot, it may be worth the gamble.

Final verdict

Alexander Isak is simply too good to ignore Sellers/Allstar

Arsenal would not be making a mistake by signing Gyokeres or Sesko – far from it – but Isak remains the leading option.

There is something intangible about the Newcastle striker’s genius, a unique skill set that is not immediately obvious to the naked eye, and Isak has proven his credentials time and again over the past two seasons. He has Premier League experience, plenty of room and time to improve and all the physical, mental and technical attributes required to thrive under a harsher spotlight in north London.

The only factor that will dissuade Arsenal from launching their pursuit of the Newcastle star is the mammoth price tag that will be needed to prise him from Tyneside. Figures of £150m have been bandied about, but it’s hard to argue against Isak being worthy of such an enormous fee.