Isak, Gyökeres And Ekitiké Herald A New Age Of The Center-forward | Jonathan Wilson

It’s only been a decade since it seemed nan center-forward was being refined retired of existence. Spain had won Euro 2012 pinch Cesc Fàbregas arsenic a mendacious nine, and Germany, who mostly took Spain arsenic a model, were little than convinced they needed 1 astatine nan 2014 World Cup. They fielded Thomas Müller arsenic a false-ish 9 until nan quarter-final, erstwhile Jögi Löw yet went backmost to basics and turned to Miroslav Klose. That he was 36 only seemed to corroborate that nan old-fashioned No 9 was an old-fashioned arena – a dying breed. Yet this summer, nan main liking successful nan transportation marketplace has been nan carousel of strikers.

Of course, strikers ne'er wholly disappeared. The 4 starring scorers successful nan Premier League successful 2014–15 were Sergio Agüero, Harry Kane, Diego Costa and Charlie Austin. Mauri Icardi and Luca Toni topped nan charts successful Italy, while Cristiano Ronaldo, his conversion to A No 9 complete, was apical scorer successful Spain (although that he was followed by Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, and Neymar suggested a greater assortment of goalscorer there).

The feeling, though, was that nan cleverest shot – nan astir precocious shot – progressive a cardinal guardant who was location astatine slightest arsenic overmuch for his activity and expertise to nexus play arsenic for his finishing. The arena of goalscoring wide players – specified arsenic Messi astatine Barcelona, Arjen Robben astatine Bayern aliases Eden Hazard astatine Chelsea, a mantle which has been taken up coming by Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappé and Raphinha – meant goals came from a greater array of sources.

But while nan goalscoring wide guardant remains, location has been a return to top-level acceptance for nan cardinal striker. Pep Guardiola, nan coach who seemed astir sceptical of accepted No 9s – ne'er moreover really seeming wholly convinced by Agüero – possibly began it erstwhile Manchester City signed Erling Haaland. The large Norwegian has caused City to make a important accommodation to their style. He does not subordinate successful play successful nan measurement each different Guardiola subordinate does. He does not driblet into midfield aliases propulsion wide – a imaginative hostility that brought a treble successful his first play astatine nan club, but which was possibly a facet successful City’s disappointment past season.

At nan aforesaid time, nan astir communal disapproval of Arsenal was that they lacked a center-forward. They needed to play good to win, because they didn’t person a subordinate who could pounce connected a half chance to bargain a triumph from a tight game, aliases astatine times moreover person their bully play into goals. Alexander Isak would person seemed a very earthy fresh for them, but a interest of £120m/$140m aliases much was ne'er wrong range, and truthful they person ended up pinch Viktor Gyökeres. It’s a calculated consequence fixed he is 27 and has only really been prolific successful nan past 4 seasons – 2 successful nan Championship pinch Coventry and 2 successful Portugal pinch Sporting – but truthful agelong arsenic concerns that he takes excessively agelong to get his changeable distant successful crowded situations beryllium unfounded, he would look to reply a circumstantial need, moreover if location are times erstwhile Kai Havertz is preferred successful that cardinal role.

It’s Isak, though, who stands astatine nan center of nan awesome striker shuffle. He is gangly and quick, his activity intelligent, and he has proved complete nan past 2 seasons a accordant Premier League scorer. It’s understandable why Newcastle are truthful hopeless to support him, but understandable excessively that he feels undervalued connected £120,000 a week/£6.2m ($8.4m) a year. He has 3 years near connected his contract, truthful beyond nan fearfulness that he could sulk, location is small logic for Newcastle to fto him go. They tin insist connected a interest of £140m aliases much – surely capable to bargain a high-class replacement, perchance Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig.

Which is what makes it overseas that Isak made his readiness nationalist only aft Liverpool had signed Hugo Ekitiké, who has a akin floor plan to Isak but, astatine 23, is acold little developed. Chelsea mightiness besides person been willing successful Isak had they not already bought 2 center-forwards successful João Pedro and Liam Delap. Perhaps, by trading 1 aliases some of Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz, Liverpool could spend him. To motion a 2nd cardinal guardant would beryllium a singular measurement for a nine wherever for respective years 1 of nan main roles of nan center-forward has been to clear nan measurement for Salah. That possibly suggests alteration is coming – Liverpool opening to hole for life without Salah, who is, aft all, 33.

But Isak is not an old-school striker. Alan Shearer was possibly nan past of his line, astatine slightest astatine elite level successful England. From Marco van Basten onwards, done Andriy Shevchenko and Thierry Henry, forwards person go overmuch much complete figures, combining elements of nan target-man, nan channel-runner and nan poacher. Isak and João Pedro person nan afloat scope of skills; Ekitiké and Šeško are processing them. Central forwards, pinch a wider scope of attributes than their predecessors, are abruptly fashionable again arsenic shot moves into a caller property of nan striker.

• This is an extract from Soccer pinch Jonathan Wilson, a play look from nan Guardian US astatine nan crippled successful Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a mobility for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll reply nan champion successful a early edition.