Arsenal appear to be stepping up their interest in a move for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres this summer.
The Swedish international has long been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, ever since his impressive spell in Portugal.
This season has only cemented his status in world football, after a campaign in which he scored 39 goals in 33 league appearances.
With Arsenal in need of a clinical striker, it could be that Viktor Gyokeres is the man to lead their charge to the top.
That is, if he is the player Andrea Berta decides on, as Arsenal are in talks over a transfer for Benjamin Sesko.
The Sporting striker remains another option, as Arsenal have made a first offer for Gyokeres, but it remains to be seen if it is accepted.
As the Gunners mull over their options, there is one clear problem with the latter that is hardly discussed.
Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty statistics should concern Arsenal
In a season in which Gyokeres has stood out for Sporting CP yet again, it’s only natural that Arsenal and other top clubs would look at signing him.
However, there are also some concerns about the striker and his record.
The 27-year-old has scored an incredible 39 league goals, which makes up most of his 54 goals scored across all competitions for 2024/25.
The main issue with such a stat is that 19 of those goals are actually made up from goals scored from the penalty spot.
Now, a goal from a penalty isn’t worth any less, of course, but it isn’t easy to recreate consistently compared to those from open play.
Gyokeres’ 19 goals from penalties is actually the joint-most across the top ten leagues this century, according to Transfermarkt, tied with Jardel for Sporting CP in 2001/02.
It also sees him above Cristiano Ronaldo, who is on the leaderboard twice with 14 penalty goals in two separate seasons, and Lionel Messi, who has scored the same amount.
It’s a double-edged sword for Arsenal, for one of a few reasons.
Arsenal’s penalty record makes it tough for Viktor Gyokeres
Not only are penalties tough to recreate on a consistent basis, but it will be difficult for Gyokeres to get the same sheer volume.
That shows in the numbers for Arsenal last season, who received just two penalties in the Premier League.
That puts them level with relegated Southampton and Ipswich for spot kicks, along with Everton, while only Wolves (0) had received fewer penalty kicks.
With a large chunk of Gyokeres’ goals coming from the spot, it leaves a question as to whether it is the right fit at all for Arsenal.
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