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Arsenal summer signing Viktor Gyokeres (Picture: Getty)
Joleon Lescott has named two Premier League strikers Arsenal ‘should have signed’ instead of Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres has endured an underwhelming first season at the Emirates Stadium following his £64m summer move from Sporting.
The 27-year-old scored almost a goal a game in Portugal but has been nowhere near as prolific in the Premier League, netting eight in 25 games.
Gyokeres has improved since the turn of the New Year but Arsenal fans still expected more from a player who was seen as the final piece of the jigsaw in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Sweden international Gyokeres has even dropped out of the team in some games and Lescott believes this is all the evidence needed to show his signing was a mistake.
Arsenal did need a new No.9 last summer but Lescott believes they should have signed Joao Pedro or Hugo Ekitike instead of Gyokeres.
Pedro has scored 13 goals since his £60m move to Chelsea last summer, while Ekitike has 15 goals in all competitions since joining Liverpool for a little under £80m.
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Former England defender Joleon Lescott (Picture: Getty)
‘I thought Viktor Gyokeres was brought in to start for Arsenal,’ former England, Manchester City, Wolves and Everton defender Lescott told Sky Bet.
‘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.
Chelsea v Leeds United - Premier League
Chelsea signed Joao Pedro from Brighton (Picture: Getty)
‘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.’
Gyokeres is not the only Arsenal summer signing to have underwhelmed, with Eberechi Eze also going through a difficult spell following his £60m move from Crystal Palace.
Asked about Eze’s start at Arsenal, Lescott added: ‘He’s found his position at Arsenal, but he hasn’t found the rhythm yet.
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‘His struggles are just down to current form – we can get carried away and think, “It’s never going to work”. Having gone there and now needing to perform is slightly different when you’ve previously been given the freedom to make mistakes.
‘He knows that when you’re playing for a top team, where competition is so strong, you can’t come in and not perform. You have to – otherwise you’re coming off.’
Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead to drop more points in the title race in a dismal 2-2 draw with bottom-placed Wolves on Wednesday night.
Arteta’s side were in complete control through Bukayo Saka’s early header and Piero Hincapie’s goal after half-time but conceded twice – including an injury-time equaliser from Wolves – to drop two points.
Gyokeres started at Molineux but was subbed off shortly after Wolves’ opener after failing to make an impact. Eze came on for the final half an hour but also struggled.
Arsenal, sitting five points clear of Manchester City having played one game more, face north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.
The Gunners’ lead by the time they face Spurs could be just two points as Man City play the previous day, facing Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium.
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