Viktor Gyokeres has broken his silence on his Arsenal future, insisting he wants to stay at the Emirates despite starting just one Premier League game this season — and the Sweden striker has also answered the critics who have questioned his place in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Speaking from Sweden’s camp during the international break, the 28-year-old told Fotbollskanalen and TV4 that he is happy in north London and has no intention of leaving, even though Kai Havertz is currently Arteta’s first-choice striker. Asked directly whether he wants to continue at Arsenal, Gyokeres did not hesitate: “Do I want to continue at Arsenal? I do.”
Viktor Gyokeres: “I want to stay at Arsenal”
Gyokeres stressed that his relationship with Arteta remains strong despite his limited minutes. “Communication with Arteta is good. We talk about football and how we should play. Before a game, if I am starting, we talk about the opponents and what I should look out for,” he said.
He also addressed his own form, adding: “I feel good when I play. We win most games. We had a difficult defeat in the League Cup, against Fleetwood. Apart from that, it has been positive for both me and the team. I have been good lately, when I play. Right now, I feel good.”
On the criticism that has followed him in the English press, Gyokeres was defiant. “Sometimes it can affect me, but overall not much,” he admitted. “If I score goals and provide assists in the Champions League, I want to know what they say there.”
Viktor Gyokeres: one start, five goal involvements
The frustration behind the message is easy to understand. Gyokeres has started only one Premier League match this season and was named on the bench last Saturday for the 1-0 win over Hull City, despite scoring and assisting against Slavia Prague in the Champions League in midweek. Yet his recent output has been strong: two goals and three assists in his last six games for Arsenal, according to Sports Mole.
The pundits have piled in. CBS Sports analyst Troy Deeney said Gyokeres should be “offended” to have started only in a heavily rotated side, while fellow pundit Nigel Reo-Coker implied Arteta lacks confidence in the Swede for big matches. Sweden boss Graham Potter, though, has backed his striker. “It doesn’t really matter, is the truth, because he’s done brilliant for us when he’s been playing every week and he’s done brilliant for us when he hasn’t been playing every week,” Potter said. The numbers support him: Gyokeres has scored 10 goals in 11 matches under Potter, netting in all four of Sweden’s Nations League games during the last international break.
What Gyokeres’ message means for Arsenal
His stance matters because the exit rumours have been loud. Reports in Spain have linked Gyokeres with a possible move as part of a deal involving Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, and he was repeatedly named as a makeweight in the summer. By saying plainly that he wants to stay, the striker has shut that talk down for now.
It also comes at a useful time for Arteta. Gyokeres played a key role in Arsenal’s first Premier League title in 22 years last season, and with Bukayo Saka sidelined — Arteta has confirmed the winger is out for weeks, though he could return for the Real Madrid clash on 9 December — the Gunners need every attacker firing. Gyokeres’ message is that he intends to fight for his place, not look for the exit. For more on the title race, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Viktor Gyokeres in Sweden colours, Bryan Berlin via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) — collage by SportsBuddy
