Liverpool makes a painful Alexander Isak realization that Arsenal likely knew

Arsenal were ever so close to signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle United in the summer. Or so it was believed, anyway. Fans were, as they always are, imagining what an Arsenal team would be like with Isak in it.

However, it wasn't to be in the end. The Swedish striker signed for Liverpool instead, as the Reds splashed the cash this summer (innocent old Liverpool, who never spends a penny, that is).

Arsenal, on the other hand, signed Isak's countryman in Viktor Gyökeres. He was signed for around £62m, whereas Isak was signed by Liverpool for around £125m.

It's beyond the point now that we can safely say that Arsenal got the far better deal.

Arsenal was right to let Liverpool sign Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak hasn't come out of first gear. He's scored just one goal for Liverpool, that coming in a League Cup fixture against Southampton. He also provided an assist against Chelsea, whoopdy-doo.

Viktor Gyökeres hasn't set the world alight in terms of numbers either, but he still makes Liverpool's deal for Isak look laughable at this point. Gyökeres has scored five goals and provided one assist for the Gunners. He scored two against Atlético Madrid, so that's pretty good, all things considered.

You'd find it hard to believe, given the difference in their attacking numbers, that Isak was the option with Premier League experience, not Gyökeres. Isak has very quickly gone from hero to zero in the Premier League.

We won't sit here and act high and mighty by claiming that Isak should have never left Newcastle. That's his personal choice, and let's face it, he had outgrown the Magpies a long time ago. However, the manner in which he left, forcing a transfer against the club's will, is what raises even more of a spotlight on his disastrous time at Liverpool.

At this point, Hugo Ekitike is performing far better for Liverpool than Alexander Isak could. He is the striker that Liverpool should have signed, and it looks like a far better coup than Isak.

Arsenal, over the last few years at least, has become a very calculated club. They no longer panic buy, and every transfer is meticulously planned before it is executed. Manager Mikel Arteta has more of a say, and sporting director Andrea Berta is clearly one of the best in the business.

So, it's more than likely that they considered something that Liverpool did not: the mental strain that Isak would have after leaving Newcastle. He went from a big fish in a little pond to a normal-sized fish in a big pond. That's hard to take for your ego, and as the weeks go by, that fish is gradually getting smaller and smaller.