Can Gyokeres Get Arsenal their Premier League? Pundits Think this is a Mistake

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For the Arsenal fans who’ve been waiting for more than two seasons, the day finally came – the club signed their superstar striker in the likes of Viktor Gyokeres this summer. 

This transfer marks the final missing piece in the Mikel Arteta plan for greatness. 

The Sporting Lisbon forward was on Arsenal’s watch list for nearly a season, and the club almost lost him as he showed intentions of joining Manchester United. 

But the negotiations didn’t go through, and the Swede ended up being a Gunner.  However, his transfer has got the footballing world in conversation, whether he was the right fit. 

Fans on ticketing platforms such as Seatsnet are already getting their first few match-day passes for the Arsenal games to get a first look at the new signings, but the question lies in whether Arsenal got the signing they wanted.

Pudnits’ Question Gyokeres Signing 

Paul Scholes has questioned whether Arsenal’s new marquee £64million striker Viktor Gyokeres was Mikel Arteta’s first choice, challenging whether his style of play will suit the Gunners.

The north London side ended their lengthy search for a new frontman at the end of July when, following weeks of arduous negotiations with Sporting Lisbon, Gyokeres arrived at the Emirates Stadium.

The Swede, who netted an incredulous 97 goals in 102 games while in Portugal, will don the number 14 shirt for the Gunners, famously worn by legend Thierry Henry during his initial eight-year stint at the club.

Gyokeres was given his first run out by Arteta in Arsenal’s pre-season defeat to north London rivals Tottenham last week. Still, the striker struggled to make much of an impact in a brief cameo as he gets used to his new surroundings.

Upon signing the 27-year-old, once Coventry City’s main man, Arteta expressed that he was ‘delighted’ that the Swede was now a Gunner. However, Manchester United legend Scholes is not convinced that Gyokeres was the Spaniard’s preferred choice.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes said: ‘[Arsenal needed a] Centre forward, I wonder if you’ve chosen the right one. 

‘Because there was a lot of um-ing and ah-ing about it, I wondered if Mikel Arteta wanted him, as the main one he wants? I’m not too sure, and he’s got him now.

‘He’s had an extraordinary career path – Brighton, Coventry, and then he’s gone to Sporting Lisbon, and his goal record is brilliant – you can’t take that away from him. 

‘If there’s any team that he could go to and create chances, then it should be Arsenal, and it should be a really good match.’

Last season, Gyokeres scored at a quite ridiculous rate of nearly one goal per game, banging in 52 strikes in 54 appearances in all competitions for Sporting, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League.

Nevertheless, Scholes is yet to be convinced that the striker, who has never made a Premier League appearance despite previously playing for Brighton, will suit Arsenal’s possession-based style of play.

‘The only thing I’d say against Gyokeres is that with Sporting Lisbon, he’s probably playing on the counter-attack a lot, in Europe especially,’ he added.

‘You think of Arsenal, they have the ball an awful lot, is he going to be clever enough to make these runs in behind – a lot of him that you see, he’s sprinting from the halfway line almost, you can’t keep up with him, he’s ramming people, he’s quick and he’s smashing the ball in. 

‘Is he going to be that clever striker – we know Isak can do that. Can Gyokeres do that?’

Liverpool legend,, Jamie Carragher, also weighed in on the debate.

The former England defender shares a similar view to Scholes on Gyokeres, citing an article that inferred Arsenal’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, was the driving force behind the signing.  

Carragher, speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, said: ‘What I thought was interesting was James [McNicholas] from The Athletic did a piece when the signing was done, and he insinuated in the column that he wrote that he was more of a sporting director signing.

‘The club were in for [Benjamin] Sesko for probably six months, and the new sporting director [changed direction] – I thought it was an interesting piece, as well as how that will affect Arteta going forward.’

Fan opinion from the Arsenal side thinks otherwise, as they think Gyokeres will be the missing link in getting them the all-important goals from the front. 

Sure,  the fans who are regualrs on Seatsnet agree that Saka has done a great job, but with Gyokeres in, he would be the finisher for the club, allowing Saka to play more freely, without the burden of all the goal scoring. 

Gyokeres To Wear Henry’s Iconic Number 

New Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres says he wants “to do my own thing” after taking the number 14 shirt previously worn by the club’s all-time leading goalscorer Thierry Henry.

Henry’s 228 goals in 377 games made him synonymous with Arsenal’s number 14 shirt.

And speaking before what could be his first match in Arsenal colours in Hong Kong against rivals Tottenham on Thursday, Gyokeres says it was an “easy” choice to make when selecting his squad number.

“Of course, I know about the history,” said Gyokeres.

“To be honest, there weren’t so many numbers available. There weren’t too many to pick from.

“But of course, that one was available. So when I knew that it was an easy choice to take it.”

Henry won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Premier League Golden Boot four times with Arsenal. Still, Gyokeres is not worried about any comparisons that may come between the two.

“I don’t know. It’s not my intention to be compared with what he’s achieved in his career,” he said.

“Especially here. I just want to do my own thing and show my qualities. Of course, he was an amazing player, but different from me. I just want to try to do my own thing.”

Arteta said he felt the number would be a good fit for Gyokeres after their initial meeting.

Tickets for Arsenal games are now available on Seatsnet. 

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