Former Arsenal player Adrian Clarke believes one signing could be the perfect match for Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres made his debut for Arsenal against Tottenham in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.
The Swede had minimal time to make an impact, with all eyes on what he can offer in the remaining two pre-season matches at the Emirates.
There is already pressure on Gyokeres to hit the ground running at Arsenal, which is why Andrea Berta signed the 27-year-old, whose goalscoring prowess could transform Mikel Arteta’s attack.
Eberechi Eze could make Viktor Gyokeres even better
Arsenal have made two attacking signings this summer, welcoming Gyokeres and former Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.
There’s hope that the number will rise before the transfer window closes, with Arsenal eyeing a move for Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
Signing Eze would be the dream for many Arsenal fans, given how impressive the England international has been over the years at Selhurst.
Eze was a talking point on Adrian Clarke’s YouTube channel, as the former Arsenal player identified one ‘aspect’ of the forward’s game that could make Gyokeres explode.
“The other aspect of his game is his through balls. Odegaard was one of the best in the division at those, that’s fantastic news for Gyokeres in particular.
“Eze, coming in off the left, is brilliant at it. We’ve seen him do it over and over again, particularly from counters; he travels with pace, and he will slide players in.”
Eze masterfully set Jean-Philippe Mateta up in pre-season with a mystical through ball from a free kick, something Clarke could see the 27-year-old target doing frequently for Gyokeres at Arsenal.
“He set up so many goals for Jean-Philippe Mateta last season, and a lot of chances were from those through-ball situations, so I think Viktor Gyokeres would certainly welcome the arrival of Eze.”
Arsenal are already blessed to have a playmaker as alert as Martin Odegaard when it comes to through balls, but Clarke thinks Eze could add even more from the left side.
How many counter-attacking goals did Arsenal score in 2024/25?
Through balls could allow Gyokeres to thrive at Arsenal now that Arteta has a renowned number nine in his ranks.
It’s not only through balls that Eze could add to the front line, as Clarke said, noting how impressive the Palace star is in counterattacking situations.
Counterattacks are certainly an area that Arsenal could improve, particularly now with Gyokeres’ pace, power and finishing ability in the central areas.
In the 2024/25 Premier League, Arsenal scored nine counterattacking goals, making up 13% of their total goals over the season, as per WhoScored.
A fusion of Odegaard, Eze and Gyokeres could see that figure rise over the year ahead, a prospect that will have fans dreaming.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
