REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
It will be interesting to see what happens with Viktor Gyokeres' future at Arsenal as the season goes on, after a summer window of uncertainty and a start to the season that has seen him struggle for game time.
The Swedish striker was linked with an exit from the club in the summer, just one year on from signing for the Gunners and after finishing that campaign as their top scorer in all competitions.
Arsenal were heavily linked with a move to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, with the Spanish side willing to let him leave for England, rather than Barcelona, for him the Argentinian was desperate to sign.
As it was, Alvarez stayed put, with Gyokeres doing the same, but there will be plenty of talk about the Swede's future as we head towards the January transfer window, if his game time remains low.
Gyokeres' action in 2026/27 so far
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Opposition Minutes played
Coventry City 0 - unused sub
Aston Villa 0 - unused sub
Chelsea 12
Kai Havertz has been the chosen one up front for Mikel Arteta so far this season, although with the number of games the Gunners will face, with UEFA Champions League football starting this week, Gyokeres is likely to get chances to prove his manager wrong as the weeks go on.
Gyokeres could have been used as a makeweight in the Alvarez deal, had Arsenal got anywhere with negotiations with Atletico Madrid for the player, but GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs does not foresee the Swede departing the club mid-season.
Mikel Arteta secures plausible deniability with Gyokeres
Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Speaking on the Market Madness podcast, Jacobs said: "Yes, at the moment [Gyokeres will stay at Arsenal for the full season], but with the Julian Alvarez situation, one structure tabled was that it was cash plus Gyokeres, and Atletico Madrid really liked Gyokeres, but as long as Julian Alvarez stayed at the club it wasn't as urgent for them to bring in a player like Viktor Gyokeres, but it's true to my understanding that Viktor Gyokeres was not entirely unsellable and was touted to the Saudi market as well.
"And this is where the manager always wants plausible deniability, because he'll accept the project decision to sell a certain player but if they stay, the manager tells you they're 100% invested and he wants to keep them and that's been the case. Mikel Arteta said Gyokeres would 100% stay and that is my expectation for the season.
"I'm not aware of anything behind the scenes trying to force him out of the club or any imminent winter exit, but it will be true over the course of the next few windows that if the right offer comes in that meets Arsenal's valuation and is something Gyokeres wants, I don't expect Arsenal to stand in his way, but I would be surprised if that is in a winter market when he still has value to the squad.
"In the summer of 2027 Gyokeres' future may become more of a topic of conversation."