Arsenal's link with Viktor Gyökores shows the future

04/01/2025 12:43 AM

Arsenal's rumoured interest in the forward shows where the game-model is going.

Over the weekend, Arsenal were linked with the 26-year old striker Viktor Gyökeres, from Sporting Lisbon. According to David Ornstein and James McNicholas in The Athletic, "Arsenal are developing a strong interest in Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres as they consider their options to recruit a striker this summer," with the player having been long admired by Andrea Berta, the new sporting director.

There are some interesting facets to this development. The first is that it would feel like somewhat of a surprise, with Gyökeres having been available during January, and indeed, likely last summer. While Berta is new, one imagines that he and Mikel Arteta will work together on transfers, as a partnership, rather than in a didactic way.

Then, there is of course the question of how Gyökeres adapts to the Premier League. It is not always a smooth transition from Portugal to the Premier League, though he has experience in the Championship and also has a good record in the Champions League.

But what's most interesting about this develop is it is another signal about what Arteta considers important for the evolution of the game model, Arsenal aren't chasing a striker in the mould of Gabriel Jesus. Rather, Arsenal are looking for looking for a focal point. We've seen this even in the absence of Havertz. Leandro Trossard played upfront in the first game that Havertz was unavailable for, having played through the middle before for Arsenal. This time, the experiment lasted about 70 minutes. Since then, Arteta has utilized Mikel Merino, a 6'2 midfielder, as his center forward, with Merino starting six games in a row. What Merino does offer upfront is a focal point: someone who occupies the centre backs, who drops and allows midfielders to run beyond but continues to occupy defenders with height, and someone who floats to the backpost for a diagonal cross.

Yet Gyökores not only is a focal point: he also gets involved in play. He has assisted 16 league goals in the last two seasons, with another 3 in European competition. In the Championship, in four seasons, he averaged about 40 touches per 90, and averaged 34 touches per 90 in the Champions League this season. Kai Havertz, for comparison sakes, averaged 37.6 touches per 90 this season, and 43.8 last season, with the caveat that Havertz played in midfield for half of last season. Thus, Gyökeres is similar in presence and touches to Havertz, though he carries the ball differently. He also shoots: 3.5 shots per 90 in the Champions League this season, 4.5 in league play.

There are legitimate concerns about Gyökeres adapting to the Premier League. Personally, I'm not yet convinced that this is the move that takes Arsenal up a level. While he is certainly getable, I'd want to see what other moves the club makes — what other moves, for example, that justifies spending less on a center forward, and turns that player into someone who shares the role with Havertz, rather than instead of Havertz. But what is certain is that the profile that Arsenal are looking for is much like Kai Havertz, though perhaps someone who shoots more. At centre forward, at least, Arteta wants a focal point, not a schemer. The question, then, is whether Arsenal add more creativity elsewhere in the team.