Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has had a positive start to life with the Gunners following his move from Sporting Lisbon but he might not have become an Arsenal player had Josh Kroenke had his way
Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres has netted six goals for Arsenal so far
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Arsenal owner Josh Kroenke wanted to sign Manchester United star Benjamin Sesko instead of Viktor Gyokeres this summer. The Gunners bolstered their attacking ranks with the signing of the Swedish forward back in July.
After extensive negotiations, Arsenal agreed to pay Sporting Lisbon £55m plus add-ons for Gyokeres. And he has enjoyed a productive start to life in North London, netting six goals in 14 appearances in all competitions.
Gyokeres might never have become an Arsenal player at all had Kroenke had his way however. According to The Independent, the Arsenal owner was not involved in the process of appointing sporting director Andrea Berta and thus had his own transfer targets in mind.
It is revealed that he preferred Sesko over Gyokeres, only to eventually relent. Intriguingly, the Slovenian forward was shortly on his way to the Premier League after completing a £73m move from RB Leipzig to Manchester United.
The 22-year-old has scored just twice since then and now looks set to be sidelined for a month with a knee injury picked up before the international break. Gyokeres in the meantime has received some bizarre criticism, having been slammed as ‘too heavy’.
Former Sweden star Stefan Schwarz said: “I believe with Viktor Gyokeres, he’s not fully fit yet. As well with the new system, new manager, and new teammates, it takes time to develop the understanding. It’s not just the physical part of it, it’s the mental part as well.”
He added: “The strikers will always be counted on for the goals that they are scoring. Hopefully, he’ll start to create and score goals, have a good run, get that real boost, and get a bit lighter because he’s a heavy player. I think that would help.”
Benjamin Sesko
Josh Kroenke wanted Arsenal to sign Benjamin Sesko in the summer
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But Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta remains fully behind the forward. Speaking after Gyokeres netted twice vs Atletico Madrid last month, the Spaniard said: "All of us [appreciate Gyokeres] because he makes us a much better team. I think we've become much more unpredictable.
"He's so physical, opens the spaces for everyone. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, it's just phenomenal.
"And then the icing on the cake and the biggest thing that we're going to debate about him is goals. He's scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals."
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