Arsenal Will Sign Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon for a fee in the region of £73 million (€63.5m, plus €10m in add-ons)
The 27-year-old is expected to lead the line for the Gunners next season as they chase glory on all fronts.
Arsenal have lacked the bite a true striker offers over the past two years. Frequent injuries to Gabriel Jesus forced Kai Havertz to step into the striker role in recent seasons. Even with his improving numbers, the German often fell short of what a natural striker should provide for a club like Arsenal.
Despite his impressive goal records in the Championship with Coventry and with Sporting in the Portuguese League, here are a few reasons why Viktor Gyökeres might fall short of expectations at Arsenal:
Different Kind of Pressure
Compared to clubs like Brighton, Coventry, and Sporting Lisbon, the pressure at Arsenal is on another level. The Gunners have faced intense scrutiny over the past two Premier League seasons as they push to win the title. Fans also expect the team to go further in the Champions League this year, especially after falling to Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals last season.
Big pressure often pushes some top players to reach their best level, and sometimes players that aren’t used to these lofty standards fall short and crumble under pressure. With that said, it is still a big question if Gyokeres can successfully lead The Gunners to their first league title in over 20 years in a competition as fierce as the Premier League.
If he handles the pressure of being Arsenal’s “missing piece” early on, he’ll set himself up for success in North London. If not, he may begin to question his move sooner rather than later.
Facing Deep Blocks Often
During his time at Brighton, Gyökeres played for a side that relied heavily on counterattacks—and even then, he struggled to earn consistent minutes. At Coventry, he scored goals by leading quick transitions and capitalizing on box entries. At Sporting Lisbon, more than anywhere else, he thrived in counterattacking systems.
However, Arsenal operate differently. While they do score on the break, they more often face deep, compact defensive blocks. The Gunners rely on creative wingers like Bukayo Saka and attacking midfielders like Martin Ødegaard to unlock defences.
In such tactical situations, Gyokeres might struggle to impact games. Despite standing 6’2”, the Swede isn’t particularly dominant in aerial duels—another concern when Arsenal need to resort to crossing the ball into the box to find goals against defensive sides.
Squad Competition
This talking point might not be the case for every striker, but for Viktor Gyokeres—who scored 12 penalties last season—it could be significant.
At Coventry and Sporting, he was the primary penalty taker. At Arsenal, however, he’ll compete with Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard for spot-kick duties.
This matters because penalties often help strikers regain confidence during rough spells. If Gyokeres experiences a goal drought, he might not have the opportunity to take important penalties, which could prolong his slump.
There’s no doubt Arsenal are about to sign a highly rated goalscorer in Gyokeres. He could settle quickly and perform well. However, the concerns outlined above are also valid reasons why he might have a slow start, hit a rough patch, or fail to meet the current high expectations Arsenal fans have for him.
