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Former Chelsea star William Gallas has warned Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres that he might not get enough time to adapt in the Premier League. He believes that there is a good chance that the striker will do better in his second season, but also pointed out that fans were hungry for silverware.
Speaking to Genting Casino, Gallas claimed that Gyokeres would play against defenders much better than he faced in the Portuguese league for Sporting CP. He, however, issued a warning that the fans were looking at him as the final piece in the puzzle and thus would not be patient. He said:
"He's not just making one step. Going from Sporting to Arsenal right now is more like two or three steps. He will be playing against defenders who are really strong, maybe the strongest. In the first season, he will need to adapt. He's tall, he's massive, so I may get attacked for saying this but in Portugal, he had a much bigger advantage on the defenders. He will need to adapt to the Premier League defenders quickly.
"There's a chance that his second year is much stronger than his first year at Arsenal. But Arsenal will not be wanting to wait for a major trophy any longer. And the signing of a striker is seen as that last piece of the puzzle to do exactly that. I hope that, if he comes in, he hits the ground running. We've all been waiting for Arsenal to sign a killer. Only time will tell if Gyokeres is an assassin in the Premier League."
The Gunners have reportedly agreed a €73.5 million deal, including €10 million in add-ons, to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. He is likely to become their fourth signing of the summer, after Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Viktor Gyokeres desperate to play in the Premier League as Arsenal move looms
Viktor Gyokeres spoke to France Football last week and admitted that he was desperate to play in the Premier League. He also expressed eagerness to prove himself in the league after failing to get a chance during his Brighton & Hove Albion stint. He said (via Metro):
"It's one of the biggest leagues in Europe. I spent several years there without being able to play a single match. So, of course, it's something I would like to do. It would be a great revenge."
Gyokeres was with Brighton for three years, but only played eight matches for them across competitions, scoring once. Notably, none of those appearances came in the Premier League.
Manchester United were also linked with the striker, but they reportedly did not make a move this summer.
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Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist who has been with the company for around 10 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.
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