Arsenal chief just HANDED Alexander Isak to Liverpool

Arsenal appear to have handed Alexander Isak over to Liverpool on a plate. Now the Reds can get a deal done.

It's no secret that Liverpool want to sign Alexander Isak this summer. The Swede is essentially the perfect option as the Reds hunt for a new no.9.

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Neither Diogo Jota nor Darwin Nunez have proven reliable enough to be what Arne Slot wants up top. Jota just can't remain fit, playing around one-third of Liverpool's Premier League minutes so far this season.

Nunez is reliably fit - he just isn't reliable in front of goal. Slot quite plainly doesn't trust him to be the main centre-forward, leaving him out of several key fixtures.

Liverpool will look to sign someone new in the summer, then, as both Jota and Nunez face uncertain futures. Isak is about as ideal as it gets as a signing.

That boosts his price extremely high, of course. Newcastle United know what they have and will demand well over £100m from any team trying to sign their star asset.

The two teams consistently linked with a move are Arsenal and Liverpool, with the Gunners also firmly in the market for an elite striker. However, recent developments suggest the Reds are going to win this one.

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Arsenal vs Liverpool for Alexander Isak

The Athletic reports that Arsenal are studying alternative options as Isak is too expensive. Mikel Arteta would love to sign the player but new sporting director Andrea Berta fancies Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The latter - another Swede, funnily enough - is apparently a more prominent candidate to be Arsenal's new striker than he previously was. Berta is a fan and everyone expects Gyokeres to be on the move this summer.

That decision would leave Liverpool as the sole serious contenders for Isak. If they can meet Newcastle's asking price, he's almost certainly be theirs.

And the lack of competition could make that asking price far more palatable, too. Not that anyone should expect a 'bargain'.

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The fact remains that Liverpool must absolutely shatter their transfer record if they want to sign Isak. But perhaps this is the time to make such a move.

Isak is available for the right price and Liverpool face a relatively smooth path to him. They're not going to find a better option up top in the transfer window - the question is whether they'll simply find better value for money.

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But should that be the concern? If Liverpool want to move up a level, Isak is the one to go for and Arsenal just handed him to them on a plate. Let's see if they bite.