A pundit has explained why he is ‘not convinced’ about Arsenal summer signing Viktor Gyokeres as ‘alarm bells’ have been ‘set off’ for two reasons.
The Gunners paid an initial £55m to sign Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon in a deal which could potentially be worth around £64m with add-ons after he scored 97 goals in 102 games for the Portuguese outfit.
Gyokeres emerged as Arsenal‘s top striker target following the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta, as they previously targeted Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins during the 2024/25 campaign.
The north London outfit have landed the prolific striker as part of a £195m summer spree on signings as they sit fourth in our ranking of this window’s biggest spenders in Europe, with some arguing that he is the final piece of the jigsaw for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Gyokeres will look to get off the mark for Arsenal on Sunday afternoon as they face Man Utd, though former Premier League striker Troy Deeney is ‘not convinced’ about the striker, as there are ‘alarm bells’ for two reasons.
‘I am not convinced Viktor Gyokeres will score as many goals for Arsenal as people think,’ Deeney wrote in a column for The Sun.
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‘My frustration is always that these guys are instantly put on a pedestal. People don’t realise the difference between playing in Portugal and playing for Arsenal or Manchester United or Liverpool.
‘Gyokeres’ numbers are fantastic. You can never deny the goals he scored in Portugal – it’s up there with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi levels.
‘But he had a lot of chances because Sporting dominated the ball. And then when Ruben Amorim left for Man United last November, he wasn’t as prolific.’
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Deeney continued: ‘In Arsenal’s pre-season games, he missed a few chances and there is the feeling that the shirt is a bit heavier to wear than at Sporting.
‘Gyokeres will score goals and is a really good player. He will grab a couple of hat-tricks against the lesser teams like Leeds or Wolves. But in the big moments, does he score at Anfield? I’m not sure.
‘And the fact that they took so long to get Gyokeres over the line, the fact they also flirted with Benjamin Sesko, that has set off alarm bells for me.
‘The good thing is that Arsenal have depth now. I reckon Kai Havertz will play a lot of football this season. Mikel Arteta loves him – he’s his type of player to lead the line. Is that Gyokeres? I’m not sure.
‘And if Havertz goes on a run then Gyokeres doesn’t get back in. I could see that scenario.’
