Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres has thrown his support behind fellow Sweden international Alexander Isak following the latter’s disputed transfer from Newcastle United to Liverpool.
The Merseyside club managed to secure Isak’s services on deadline day, with the deal commencing at £125 million, potentially escalating to £130 million. Isak, unhappy with Newcastle’s initial reluctance to sell despite a rejected £110 million bid at the start of August, took the bold step of striking and releasing a statement decrying broken promises and shattered trust, making his desire to exit St James’ Park crystal clear.
Despite the swirling controversy, the transfer steadfastly reached completion only at the window’s closure, contingent upon Newcastle fortifying their squad with the acquisitions of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
Critique swelled regarding Isak’s actions, with The Athletic dubbing the ordeal ‘the summer’s most toxic transfer’. Notably, former Newcastle legend Alan Shearer expressed disapproval over Isak’s strike tactics, suggesting it presented football in a poor light. Shearer voiced his opinion to Betfair stating, “I didn’t like how it got to the end. I don’t think it’s ever right that a player should go on strike and refuse to play for a club whilst you’re being paid and have a contract.”
Nonetheless, Gyokeres, having orchestrated his own move from Sporting CP to Arsenal, empathised with Isak’s stance. Speaking to Sky Sports, Gyokeres remarked, “We all play and I think the clubs have the most power. It’s maybe difficult for the players to choose in a lot of cases.” He highlighted the often one-sided nature of such scenarios, where clubs wield extensive control over players.
Reiterating his support for Isak, Gyokeres acknowledged the complexities behind the scenes, leaving too much unseen to pass judgement: “You don’t really know what’s been going on behind [the scenes]. I don’t really know in his case what the situation has been exactly, it’s difficult for me to speak about that.”
As the dust settles on Isak’s move to Anfield, the football world continues to debate the ethics of transfers and the balance of power between clubs and players.