Arsenal’s pursuit of a striker is expected to heat up in the coming weeks, and Viktor Gyokeres appears to be one of the most likely candidates to fill this number nine role in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Gyokeres has enjoyed a spectacular season for Sporting, netting 54 goals and providing 12 assists across all competitions.
The Swede’s remarkable output helped his team win the domestic double, with Rui Borges’ side securing the Taca de Portugal on Sunday against Benfica.
Potential suitors will be able to move for Gyokeres now that the Portuguese season is over, and Arsenal are understood to be one of the prominent sides looking to land the player.
Andrea Berta and Arteta are expected to sign one of Gyokeres or Sesko, with a decision likely to be made on which of the two to aggressively pursue this week.
- READ MORE: What Kieran Tierney told Mikel Arteta before his final Arsenal appearance has just come true
Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres unlikely to sign for Manchester United this summer
Gyokeres hinted that he will leave Sporting this summer in the aftermath of the Primeira Liga giants’ cup final victory on Sunday, and this departure from the Jose Alvalade stadium is seemingly a foregone conclusion.
Unsurprisingly, the 26-year-old is attracting interest from numerous different clubs throughout Europe, including Arsenal and Chelsea.
Journalist Ben Jacobs revealed on Monday morning that the Blues could rival the Gunners for Gyokeres, who wants to play in the Champions League next season.
This desire to play in Europe’s elite competition has subsequently made a switch to Manchester United unlikely.
There had been several reports linking Gyokeres to United, largely due to the pre-existing relationship he has with Ruben Amorim, but journalist Florian Plettenberg revealed this is improbable after the Red Devils failed to qualify for the Champions League.
While Arsenal will still have to fend off interest from Chelsea for the Coventry man’s signature, they look to be in a good position to do so.
Arteta secured Champions League qualification comfortably for Arsenal, despite being faced with significant adversity throughout the campaign, and this seems to have put them in pole position to acquire Gyokeres.
Can Viktor Gyokeres translate his form to the Premier League?
No one can doubt Gyokeres’ goal-scoring record, having found the back of the net 97 times in two seasons in Lisbon.
However, there are valid question marks about his ability to translate this proficiency in front of goal to the Premier League.
While striking the ball with power and accuracy is certainly not an issue for the Sweden international, whether he’s able to generate the volume of shots and chances in a much more challenging league remains to be seen.
| Gyokeres’ Primeira Liga Statistics 2024/25 | |
| Appearances | 33 |
| Goals | 39 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Non-Penalty Goals | 27 |
| Shots | 4.08 |
| Expected Goals per 90 | 0.99 |
| Non-Penalty Expected Goals per 90 | 0.69 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 1.96 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.22 |
The quality of defending is much higher in the Premier League, and teams certainly won’t give him the space in behind that he gets in Portugal.
That said, his underlying numbers are good enough to make it worth a punt, particularly at the mooted £55 million price tag.
It may take him some time to adapt to the English game, but Gyokeres has the raw ingredients to thrive for Arsenal.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
