Chelsea legend slams Andrea Berta for ‘useless’ Arsenal signing after what he saw vs Man United

Add as preferred source on Google

Chelsea icon Frank Leboeuf shared some choice words when assessing Arsenal’s new signings at Old Trafford.

As far as opening day results go, Arsenal will be delighted to have walked away as winners at Old Trafford. 

Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0, but the performance was unconvincing, particularly going forward. 

Even the opposition commented on how little Arsenal created, but that won’t alert Mikel Arteta so early into the season, though some pundits are eager to dramatise the situation. 

• READ MORE: Arsenal player ratings vs Man United, 6/10 the highest rating as two suffer 3/10 disasters

Frank Leboeuf slams ‘useless’ Viktor Gyokeres signing

Three of Arsenal’s new signings were in action against United, as Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres started, with Noni Madueke coming off the bench.

The undeniable talking point from the game was Gyokeres and Man United’s new attack, compiled of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.

Though none of the new signings scored or assisted, only one collected criticism, which was Gyokeres.

Gyokeres did struggle against Man United, not by his own faults, but as a result of how little Arsenal created, but Frank Leboeuf tied it to a far greater issue. 

After seeing just 60 minutes of the Swede in action, the former Chelsea centre-back branded the striker’s transfer as ‘useless’.

“My problem is, why do you recruit a player like Gyokeres when you know the rest of the team won’t play that way?” Leboeuf asked on ESPN FC.

“They won’t do what you are expecting them to do, crossing the ball a bit quicker, turning around. You want the player that you need to cross the ball to as quickly as possible, and if you block it and you make it slow, that guy is useless.

“So why do you sign a player like that when, in fact, the rest of the team doesn’t understand him?”

The World Cup-winning defender couldn’t get his head around why Andrea Berta chose to add Gyokeres to Arsenal’s system, judging the £64m signing on 60 minutes at Old Trafford. 

What came next from Leboeuf was even more erratic, as the pundit compared Gyokeres to Man United flop Rasmus Hojlund.

“I think it’s useless, and I really hope he’s going to change and score goals, but I thought Hojlund signed for Arsenal and played against his former team.

“That was the way I saw Gyokeres today, so I really hope that he doesn’t have the same path.”

Gyokeres is very clearly not the issue

There’s very little that can be said in response to Leboeuf’s assessment of Gyokeres.

The Frenchman aired his doubts about Gyokeres, but in reality, the points raised have nothing to do with the player himself.

Arsenal need to change how they create; it’s as simple as that, but against Man United, no player was able to do so, so are alarm bells ringing too prematurely? 

Bearing in mind that Gyokeres scored his first Arsenal goal the game before the trip to Old Trafford, it’s quite staggering that the 27-year-old is already being ruled a ‘useless’ transfer. 

The Swede’s goal against Athletic Bilbao came from a simple cross into the box, which he got on the end of and converted, chances that didn’t come for him in Manchester due to those around him.

All Gyokeres can do is silence his doubters with a goal in Arsenal’s next fixture against Leeds United, but even that demand echoes how little time players coming to the Premier League get to adapt, which is a dire shame.