Arsenal could sell £100k-p/w man for big money if they sign Gyokeres

Arsenal's recruitment has so far been absent in the summer transfer window. With Euro 2024 and Copa America in full swing, that's no surprise.

Mikel Arteta and Edu have never spent the club's money unnecessarily so you can forgive them for being pragmatic in the first phase of the summer months.

That said, it wouldn't be a surprise if everything is wrapped up by mid-July. After all, there was a wave of new signings that month last year, with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber arriving this week.

Rice's transfer was no secret but the deal to bring Timber to the Emirates Stadium was kept under wraps. So, it's clear that not everything Arsenal are working on in 2024 will be announced from the rooftops. You can imagine, however, that when a new striker arrives there will be a great sense of anticipation from the fans.

So, who could that attacker be?

Arsenal Strikers List 2024

Back in January, it looked like this would be the Gunners' first concern in 2024. Ivan Toney was relentlessly linked late on as Arteta's side struggled to find the net.

However, the rumors surrounding the Brentford striker have now quieted down. Benjamin Sesko, who played for Slovenia against England earlier this week, was the next best bet.

There were reports suggesting that those behind Arsenal were hoping to bring the player to north London but he will now stay in Germany with his club RB Leipzig, and sign a new contract.

So, where next? However, the biggest name running at the moment is Viktor Gyokeres of Portuguese club Sporting CP.

The Swede is familiar with English football during his time with Coventry where he was electrifying, scoring 22 goals for the Sky Blues in the 2022/23 campaign.

Why then did the English sides not move at that time? They will be cursing their luck after a season in which he hit the back of the net 43 times in 50 appearances for the Lisbon outfit.

Rumors have continued to link Gyokeres to the English shores and, some reports on the continent also suggest that the player is on his way to Arsenal. Whether you believe that or not, we'll leave that up to you.

The knocking effect of signing Gyokeres

It's hard not to be excited when a new striker signs for your club, especially when he's scoring goals at an absurd rate.

The cynic in us wonders if the Swedish striker could be a one-hit wonder but his rate of development in recent years has been impressive.

Kai Havertz finally found form last season as a forward – or 9 lie – scoring eight times and providing seven assists in 18 games in that role. He offers a wide skill set, from scoring goals, assists, making dedicated runs and lifting the ball to bring others into play.

To put it simply, he has been an excellent player for the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard, Arsenal's biggest goalscorers and creators last season.

That said, Gyokeres is not a pony trickster himself. While his arrival would be bad news for Havertz's hopes of continuing as a focal point in attack, the Sporting sensation is no slouch either, boasting 12 assists in Portugal in 2023/24.

Havertz would still feel confident of getting enough game time but the same cannot be said for Eddie Nketiah who slipped further down the line in 2024.

It was his run in front of goal that led to the Chelsea man being shot forward.

Nketiah scored a hat-trick against relegated Sheffield United in October but has not scored a home goal since that joyous day. He found the net in the Champions League game against PSV in December but has left a lot to be desired.

When Gabriel Jesus came back from injury, he quickly fell to the striker chosen by the third team. As a result, it is not surprising to see him connected to the exit door.

talkSPORT revealed earlier this week that the Londoners slapped a £50m price tag on his head amid interest from Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham.

Whether anyone pays that price remains to be seen but if someone of Gyokeres' caliber arrives, the chance of Arsenal's number 14 getting any minutes in the next quarter is slim.

To do his job well, he needs to go, and for the good of the team, he needs to go through the exit door. The £100k-a-week striker's record in front of goal, who scored six goals in 37 games last season, is not good enough for a team challenging for top honours.