Arsenal have been linked with a number of strikers, and Viktor Gyokeres is one of them.
The Gunners have all but missed out on the Premier League title this season, and many fans will tell you that the lack of a prolific striker is the reason why.
Mikel Arteta knows he will have to sign a new number nine this summer, and Gyokeres is a player Arsenal are looking at ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
Portugal legend Nani, who has played against Gyokeres and has watched him at Sporting CP over the last two years, has delivered his verdict on the striker now.
Nani explains the change he has seen in Viktor Gyokeres that makes him perfect for the Premier League
Gyokeres has been on everyone’s radar for over a year now.
The Swede joined Sporting in the summer of 2023, and he has since been one of the most prolific strikers on the planet. His numbers are out of this world.
Gyokeres has scored 85 goals and provided 26 assists in just 92 appearances for the Portuguese champions, and he is very likely to be on the move this summer.
New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is a big fan of Gyokeres, but there are some fans who are sceptical of the Sporting striker.
Nani, who won four Premier League titles with Manchester United, has claimed that defenders in England would’ve eaten Gyokeres this time last year.
But, he is now a changed man, and Nani believes he will be a success in the English top-flight.
He said on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast: “The last few games I saw him play, he’s much more mature.
“He’s not playing the same, he’s using his qualities in the right moments now, he’s not losing energy every time. Now, he sets the ball back to the players who have to run with the ball. He controls the game for the team.
“He’s making goals, he’s making assists, so I think he’s a player who can play in the Premier League. Trust me!
“If he was playing the same today as he was one year ago I would say no because, in the Premier League, the defenders will eat him because he just wants to run with the ball.
“But now, he’s playing with his head and he’s really strong. It felt like he was a rock! Powerful. I swear, I swear.”
READ MORE: Three ways Arsenal could line-up with Viktor Gyokeres including potential Kai Havertz partnership
Change in Gyokeres’ game could make Arsenal sign him
Until after Berta was announced as the new sporting director, reports claimed that Gyokeres was nowhere near the top of Arsenal’s wish list.
Many people had their reservations about the Sweden international – mainly because of the quality of the opposition he has been playing against.
But, the change in Gyokeres’ game, where he is much more aware of what’s around him, may well have changed Arsenal’s mind.
The former Coventry man, along with being prolific, can bring everyone around him into play, and that is exactly what Arteta looks for in his striker.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but if Arsenal can’t get Alexander Isak, we think Gyokeres would be a very good alternative.
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