Viktor Gyokeres has didn’t dwell as much as expectations at Arsenal following his £64m summer season transfer from Sporting Lisbon and Joleon Lescott has scrutinised the choice to signal him
Joleon Lescott has questioned Arsenal’s choice to go all in on Viktor Gyokeres(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside)
Joleon Lescott has questioned why Arsenal determined to purchase Viktor Gyokeres forward of different choices akin to Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike final summer season amid the Sweden striker’s uninspiring begin to life within the Premier League.
It was properly documented {that a} new No.9 was Arsenal’s high precedence forward of the summer season switch window and Gyokeres, 27, emerged because the membership’s major goal forward of Benjamin Sesko, who would go on to hitch Manchester United.
Gyokeres had taken his recreation to new heights in Portugal, the place he was lethal in entrance of purpose for Sporting Lisbon. But the previous Coventry City man has struggled to copy that kind within the Premier League, scoring eight instances in 25 video games.
After blanking in one other poor efficiency on Wednesday night time within the 2-2 draw away at struggling Wolves, Lescott has scrutinised the choice to prioritise Gyokeres forward of different targets – together with Ekitike and Pedro, who have outscored the Arsenal man within the league.
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“I thought Viktor Gyokeres was brought in to start for Arsenal,” Lescott told Sky Bet, referencing a run earlier within the season the place he was not beginning video games.
“You’re not spending that amount of money, having identified that position, for him not to play. Surely, he’s been brought in to play in all the big games.
“They brought in Gyokeres because they thought he was the best of the available strikers.
“It’s easy to say now that Arsenal should have gone for Hugo Ekitike. Joao Pedro is another striker I don’t know why Arsenal didn’t buy.”
The two strikers Lescott talked about have loved stronger seasons than Gyokeres, with Pedro – who at £60m value barely lower than Gyokeres – netting 10 instances within the Premier League, in addition to contributing 4 assists for Chelsea. A bunch of golf equipment had been credited with an curiosity within the Brighton man earlier than the Blues swooped, together with Arsenal.
Ekitike moved to Liverpool for £79m and likewise has 10 objectives to his identify despite the fact that Arne Slot’s aspect have struggled within the league.
Goals apart, each have regarded far more practical in video games for his or her new membership than Gyokeres, who has been closely scrutinised in latest months regardless of Arsenal’s title bid.
Dietmar Hamann mentioned final month that he did not really feel Gyokeres was adequate for the Gunners, saying: “They brought Gyokeres in as the centre-forward but I don’t think he’s good enough. Whether that will be the deciding factor in the end I don’t know but at the moment, it certainly didn’t help Arsenal. We saw Gyokeres at a few clubs before Sporting and I’m just not sure whether he’s got the ability to play against the best defenders in Europe and in the Premier League.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL bundle
Sky has slashed the value of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle forward of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and providing greater than 1,400 dwell matches throughout the Premier League, EFL and extra.
Sky will present not less than 215 dwell Premier League video games this season, a rise of as much as 100 extra.
