Viktor Gyokeres has shut down rumours claiming that he was close to leaving Arsenal in the summer. The Gunners’ lengthy pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez was no secret as they looked to add more firepower to their frontline.
Arteta had been open after May’s Champions League final defeat - a game where Gyokeres came off the bench and was notably underwhelming - that the Gunners needed more star quality in attack. As such, Gyokeres was mooted as a potential makeweight for Alvarez if Arsenal managed to sign the 26-year-old.
As it turned out, Alvarez opted to remain at Atletico, having had his preferred move to Barcelona blocked, leaving Gyokeres to shadow Kai Havertz this season as Arteta’s second-choice striker. Now, the Swede, who has netted twice during this international break, has sought to dispel talk of Arsenal looking to sell him in recent months.
Gyokeres: Staying was a given
Gyokeres said: "Of course, there was a lot of speculation. But I had a full pre-season, and it felt good. I was fully focused on Arsenal. For me, staying was a given. I’m extremely happy at the club."
He added: "It’s clear that I want to play football and as much as possible. Hopefully that will come, too. You always want to be on the field as a football player. Of course you expect more playing time, but we have an extremely good squad with a lot of good players and have been doing well here at the start."
Gyokeres has played just 29 minutes of Premier League football so far this season. The Swede was handed a start in the 1-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League, as well as playing the entirety of their 4-2 Carabao Cup win over Ipswich Town.
UEFA compensation windfall
Arsenal are set to bank a share of a £27m compensation package courtesy of UEFA. European football’s governing body plans to reimburse clubs for allowing their players to take part in the 2024/25 edition of the UEFA Nations League, as part of the Club Benefits Programme.
The initiative, which rewards teams for their players' participation in the governing body's international competitions, will see the cash pool distributed among 611 clubs across all member associations. Across Nations League and European Qualifier fixtures, the Club Benefits Programme set a rate of €3,845 (£3,296) per eligible appearance on the match sheet.
In an official statement on the UEFA website, the governing body president Aleksander Čeferin said: "The Club Support Programme acknowledges the essential contribution that clubs add to the success of national team football."
"Through this Programme, we distribute a share of UEFA EURO and UEFA Nations League revenue to clubs across Europe, professional and amateur alike, in recognition of their role in developing players and releasing them for national team duty. When football thrives, everybody benefits."
Although Arsenal are only expected to bank in the region of six figures, the windfall is still expected to help ahead of the January transfer window.
