Newcastle United came frustratingly close to signing another world-class striker to play alongside Alexander Isak.
Newcastle United broke their transfer record with a £63m deal to sign Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad in 2022.
The 24-year-old has been worth every penny for the Magpies, and he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023/24 scoring 25 goals across all competitions.
He has shared his spot up front with Callum Wilson, who also impressed last season with 10 goals. However, Wilson was linked with a Newcastle exit this summer and while William Osula has been signed from Sheffield United, Newcastle may need to buy a senior striker to take his place.
Frustratingly, Newcastle came close to signing Alexander Isak‘s perfect strike partner in 2023 but failed to get a deal over the line.
Newcastle scouted Viktor Gyokeres extensively
Just a year after signing Isak, Newcastle were in the market again for another striker and Craig Hope has now revealed via the Daily Mail that Newcastle “extensively” scouted Viktor Gyokeres during his final year at Coventry City.
Newcastle had scouts at Wembley to watch Gyokeres in action for Coventry in the 2023 Championship play-off final, where the Sky Blues lost on penalties to Luton Town.
Gyokeres was valued at £25m at the time, but Newcastle did not pursue a deal and he instead joined Sporting Lisbon last summer.
In his first season in Portugal, Gyokeres scored 43 goals in 50 games as well as assisting 15 times. He has continued his remarkable form at the start of this season with nine goals and three assists in seven games so far.
Gyokeres was linked with a move again this summer but Sporting refused to accept anything less than his £85m release clause – a whopping £60m more than what Newcastle could have signed him for last year.
Viktor Gyokeres is Alexander Isak’s perfect strike partner
Newcastle could have solved all their striker issues for the next decade if they had got a deal over the line for Gyokeres.
The duo have plenty of experience playing together having started up front multiple times for Sweden.
Their incredible partnership was on full show in the latest international break, where both Isak and Gyokeres scored three times in Sweden’s wins over Azerbaijan and Estonia.
READ MORE: Eddie Howe now shares Alexander Isak injury update ahead of Newcastle’s game against Fulham
Isak has also admitted that he enjoys playing alongside Gyokeres up front, saying (via HITC) “It is very nice to play with such a player, one who wins all his duels. He did excellently. It made it easier for me, that I could find my areas.”
It would have been a match made in heaven, but a deal for Gyokeres would now be extremely difficult – and extremely costly – for Newcastle.
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