Arsenal have finally completed their search for a striker. The Gunners have made Victor Gyokeres signing a priority for this summer transfer window.
Arsenal has been linked with many strikers across Europe. Benjamin Sesko was close to joining the club. But the Rb Leipzig forward snubbed them in the closing stages of the deal. The Slovenian has signed a new contract with Leipzig till 2029. Arsenal has been looking for other options in the market.
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have not been great for the Gunners. They were the other strikers besides Nketiah who has agreed terms and is moving to France to play for Marseille. Havertz has only scored 14 goals and assisted 7 times in 51 appearances while the Brazilian has mostly succumbed to injuries and missed most of the season. The striking force upfront has been lacking from Mikel Arteta’s squad. A tall and physical striker who can both score and assist might just be what they need.
Victor Osimhen, Brian Brobbey and Ivan Toney have been on Arsenal’s radar. But another player has become their primary transfer target for this summer window. Swedish International Victor Gyokeres, currently playing for Sporting Cp in Portugal has emerged as the Gunner’s top target.
How good is Victor Gyokeres for Arsenal?
Gyokeres is a perfect fit for the striker profile desired by Arsenal. Standing at 187m he is a tall and physical striker. His goalscoring prowess is off the charts as well. He scored 29 goals in 33 matches for Sporting Cp and was the driving force behind their league triumph after 3 years. What makes him even more ideal for Arsenal is his playmaking abilities. He provided 15 assists across all competitions.
According to Fbref he has a pass completion rate of 71.7% from 24.90 passes per 90 minutes. His desire to link with other forwards is evident from his profile. This will benefit Arsenal greatly. The Swedish striker is a formidable opponent and a great threat to any team’s defence. His lethal runs into the box were spotted by opposing defenders and they marked him heavily. This in turn opened up spaces for other forwards to run into.
The Gunners will look to strengthen their squad with the addition of a striker of his qualities. Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka tend to cut in from either flanks and the presence of a physically dominant striker like Gyokeres will give them more opportunities to exploit opponent defences.
Moreover, Gyokeres has experience in English football. He has previously played for Swansea and Brighton. During his time at Coventry City, they came close to a Premier league promotion but lost at the playoffs. He will fit in at Arsenal in no time, and is no stranger to the harsh English weather conditions.
Arsenal face stiff competition for Gyokeres
Sporting Cp have slapped a €85M release clause on their coveted asset. Arsenal will have to pay the hefty amount upfront to sign him. Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea have been linked to the players as well. Arsenal emerge as the most serious contender in the race to sign this player.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are ready to make an opening bid of €60M to €65M. Itremains to be seen if the offer is tempting enough for Sporting to cash in on Victor Gyokeres.
Arsenal are very close to signing Mikel Merino at the moment. They have already completed the signing of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori. He has completed his medicals and will travel to USA to sign his contract.
The addition of these players will give an immense boost to the squad. The Gunners will be looking to dethrone the Premier League champions Manchester City and win their first league title after 2003.
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