How Newcastle could ruin Arsenal’s £50m transfer plan amid bombshell Gyokeres agent decision | OneFootball

Newcastle have reportedly identified Viktor Gyokeres as a priority transfer target ahead of the summer window.

The Arsenal-linked centre-forward – who has registered a whopping 43 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances (across all competitions) this term – remains of great interest to Andrea Berta.

In fact, if prior reporting on the matter is to be taken as gospel, the Gunners’ new sporting director is understood to have already initiated talks with the Sporting CP hitman.

On Gyokeres’ side, local reports suggest that a move to North London would be his preference over Premier League competitors Manchester United.

Newcastle want Viktor Gyokeres & Alexander Isak partnership

(Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

It’s a little ambitious (and potentially over-ambitious) considering the Magpies have yet to confirm Champions League football for the 2025/26 campaign.

One might reasonably suspect such a move – and the ability to retain top-scorer Alexander Isak at the club – will depend massively on the return of premier European football.

Either way, Steve Kay reports on Football Transfers that Eddie Howe’s outfit plans to reunite the pair at a domestic level.

And why shouldn’t they hold such ambitions? Assuming Viktor Gyokeres’ goalscoring prowess is at least vaguely translatable to the demands of Premier League football, Newcastle could end up with one of the most devastating frontlines in Europe.

TEAMtalk reports that Sporting would be open to selling their frontman with offers around the £50m mark.

Arsenal must win transfer race

It’s difficult to see a world in which Newcastle can stave off interest in Isak should they fail to secure Champions League football next term.

That said, it would be foolish to deny the clear opportunity for Eddie Howe’s men to guarantee themselves further financial security before the end of the campaign.

Poor results across the top five mean Newcastle are now well-placed to carve a path back into the top four spots. Winning their two Premier League games in hand would see them sit fourth in the league, a mere point behind Nottingham Forest with seven games to go.

In this case, signing Alexander Isak will prove financially challenging, if not impossible.

If Arsenal are forced to withdraw their interest this summer, they simply can’t afford to let a potentially quality alternative in Gyokeres make his way over to the North East instead.

If the Sporting striker’s agents are indeed attending the Gunners’ hosting of Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, Berta and Co. need to be setting the scene for a potential transfer.