Viktor Gyokeres wants to leave Arsenal and has offered himself to Barcelona, according to Spanish outlet COPE. The Sweden international is facing a battle for game time at the Premier League champions after Mikel Arteta’s trust in Kai Havertz and the club’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen.
Gyokeres’ first season at Arsenal
Gyokeres endured a mixed first season at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 21 goals in all competitions. While that contribution helped Arsenal win their first Premier League title since 2004 and reach the Champions League final, there were concerns over Gyokeres’ all-round play.
As a result, Arsenal expressed interest in signing Julian Alvarez earlier in the summer, but Atletico Madrid are still determined to keep hold of the Argentine World Cup winner. The Gunners have also been linked with a fresh move for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, while last week they reportedly opened talks with Galatasaray over a deal for Victor Osimhen.
Interest in Osimhen and Havertz’s role
Like Atletico, Galatasaray have no interest in selling their superstar striker so close to the transfer deadline, but that has not deterred Arsenal, who are still interested in striking a deal. Even if a new striker does not arrive in north London before the summer transfer window shuts, Gyokeres faces a battle for game time with Kai Havertz starting last weekend’s emphatic Community Shield win over Manchester City.
Havertz missed much of last season through injury, only making 12 Premier League appearances, but looks set for an influential campaign given he has the trust of Arsenal boss Arteta. The prospect of playing back-up to Havertz and possibly even Osimhen has forced Gyokeres to consider his future at Arsenal.
Gyokeres’ desire to move to Barcelona
According to COPE, the 28-year-old ‘wants to leave’ and has a ‘desire’ to move on this summer. The Spanish outlet says Gyokeres has ‘offered himself’ to Barcelona as the La Liga champions look for a new striker. Barcelona have been linked with a move for the £64m former Sporting star as they too struggle to persuade Atletico to sell first-choice target Alvarez. It is claimed Gyokeres’ representatives are hoping to land a meeting with Barcelona transfer chief Deco to discuss a move to the Nou Camp.
Earlier this week, Gyokeres insisted he was fully focused on the new Premier League campaign amid speculation linking him with a move away from Arsenal. ‘I’m looking forward a lot, it’s going to be nice to start a league campaign again and to start against my old club,’ Gyokeres told talkSPORT. ‘It’s a great way to start at home so I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t played against them so of course it’s going to be nice to see a few of them that are still there and meet the fans as well. Everyone starts on zero points again, so we have to do it all over again. We don’t have to defend it [the title], we just have to win as many games as we can and then hopefully, we’ll be there in the end again.’
Expert views on Arsenal’s striker situation
Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given insists Arsenal should be looking to sign an upgrade on Gyokeres after his ‘okay’ first season at the club. ‘A signing like Bruno Guimaraes can give Arsenal the strength in depth they need to win multiple trophies,’ Given told BoyleSports. ‘But I think they still need to strengthen their options up front with another striker as well. Viktor Gyokeres did okay last season but I still think when you want to win multiple trophies, you need somebody at the very top of the pitch who only needs one chance to score, not three or four chances a game. That’s the level Arsenal are at, at the minute. If there is an opportunity to bring in more quality up front, that’s part of the puzzle too.’
