Football Today
·3 October 2024
Football Today
·3 October 2024
Arsenal were widely tipped to sign a new striker during the recent summer transfer window.
Viktor Gyokeres was mentioned as one of the top targets, but the club eventually decided against making an approach.
Sporting CP wanted his £84 million release clause to be paid, but Arsenal made it known that they would not meet the price.
The club was proved right by Gyokeres’ tough outing against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Gyokeres has been a revelation in Portuguese football where he has scored a staggering 48 goals in just 49 appearances.
However, his progress will surely be judged by how he performs in the Champions League this term.
The Swede scored in the 2-0 win over Lille at home last month, but he had a frustrating outing versus PSV away from home.
The 26-year-old failed to register a single shot on or off target as he was comfortably handled by PSV centre-back Ryan Flamingo.
Gyokeres lost possession on 16 occasions with just 14 passes. He was guilty of committing three fouls during the game.
The former Coventry City forward still has three more away trips in the league phase of the competition.
It remains to be seen whether he can turn up with strong performances to make a statement.
However, sporting director Edu’s decision to steer clear of Gyokeres looks to be a shrewd one.
The Gunners are probably wary of spending big, considering Darwin Nunez’s mixed fortunes since his move from Portugal.
Nunez scored 34 goals in his final season at Benfica but has netted the same number of goals in 103 outings for Liverpool.
Stats from Sofascore.com.