Arsenal Paul Scholes
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has cast doubt over whether Viktor Gyokeres was genuinely Mikel Arteta’s top choice to lead Arsenal’s attack, despite the Swedish striker’s high-profile arrival at the Emirates.
Arsenal ended months of speculation last month by sealing a deal for Gyokeres from Sporting CP worth around £55 million plus £8.5 million in add-ons. The Gunners beat strong competition from Manchester United, with the 27‑year‑old opting to move to North London to play Champions League football next season.
Gyokeres arrives on the back of an extraordinary two‑season spell in Portugal, where he scored 97 goals in 102 appearances and helped Sporting secure a domestic double last term. Arsenal hope he can replicate that prolific form in England and transform Arteta’s squad into serious title contenders.
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However, speaking onThe Overlap’s Fan Debate, Scholes questioned whether Arteta ever truly prioritised Gyokeres as his primary target, given the length of time it took to finalise the transfer.
“I just wonder if you’ve [Arsenal] chosen the right one,” Scholes said. “There was a lot of um‑ing and ah‑ing about it, and they were taking a bit of time. I was wondering, ‘Does Arteta really want him? Is he the main one he wants?’ I wasn’t too sure.
Arsenal - Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres (Image credit: Getty Images)
“Look, he’s got him now, and his career path has been really strange – Brighton, Coventry, and then Sporting. His goal record is absolutely brilliant, you can’t take that away from him. If there’s any team that creates chances, it’s Arsenal. But you just don’t know until it happens.”
Scholes also raised tactical concerns about whether Gyokeres’ style would fit Arsenal’s possession-heavy approach. “At Sporting, he was probably playing on the counter‑attack a lot, especially in Europe. Arsenal have the ball an awful lot.
“Is he going to be clever enough to make these runs in behind? A lot of what you see is him sprinting from halfway, smashing the ball in. Is he going to be that clever striker? We know Isak can do that, can Gyokeres do it?”
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Meanwhile, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher suggested that new sporting director Andrea Berta may have been the driving force behind the signing, rather than Arteta himself.
“What I thought was really interesting was James McNicholas from The Athletic did a piece on the signing,” Carragher said. “He insinuated that it was more of a sporting director signing. The club were in for Sesko for probably six months, and the new sporting director changed direction. I thought it was an interesting piece and how that might affect Arteta going forward.”
Gyokeres will now look to silence any doubts as Arsenal prepare for the new Premier League campaign, with expectations high that he can deliver the goals to push the Gunners over the line in the title race.
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