Arsenal legend Tony Adams believes there was a better striker option out there for the Gunners this summer.
Fans are already in love with Viktor Gyokeres, who arrived from Sporting CP, representing the striker Mikel Arteta so desperately needed.
Having scored 97 domestic goals over the past two seasons, there are few doubts surrounding what the 27-year-old will offer to the Arsenal squad.
That being said, there are still questions being asked, as some wonder if Gyokeres is Premier League-ready, given the difference in quality between the Liga Portugal and the English top flight.
Tony Adams favoured Ollie Watkins over Viktor Gyokeres
We’ll soon find out if the Swede can hit the ground running in the Premier League.
Already, Gyokeres has scored his first Arsenal goal, netting a header at the Emirates during the Gunners’ win over Athletic Bilbao.
Despite having seen a glimpse of the striker’s threat already, Arsenal legend Tony Adams believes there was a better choice out there for Andrea Berta to explore.
Speaking on the Indo Sport podcast, Adams shared the reservations he has about Gyokeres.
“The Portuguese League lad, we don’t know yet, don’t know yet, so he’s untried and tested,” he said, before mentioning his admiration for Ollie Watkins.
“I would like to have seen him get Ollie Watkins, to be honest with you, if he’s a Gunner, he might have given us a year, and we might have won the title.”
Watkins was an option for Arsenal this summer, making Berta’s shortlist, but in the end, the race was reduced to two: Benjamin Sesko and Gyokeres.
Arsenal had to sign Gyokeres
Arsenal actually bid for Watkins in January, an offer that near-insulted Aston Villa, who had already parted ways with Jhon Duran.
Though the England international, who scored 16 Premier League goals last season, is a seasoned scorer in the top-flight, Arsenal undoubtedly needed more.
For fans, the wait for a top number nine had to be high profile and who, in this market, made more of a statement than Gyokeres?
A player nearing his peak with a monstrous scoring record at Sporting CP, Gyokeres was feared by all defences last season, with Arsenal being the ones to claim the Swede’s signature.
Adams’ claim about Watkins’ love for Arsenal is interesting, but Gyokeres has shown a similar desire to join the club, making it clear all summer that it was only ever the Gunners he wanted.
Naturally, all eyes will be on Gyokeres for the opening few games of the season, where it will become clearer whether Arsenal made the right choice.
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