Dean Jones has suggested there are doubts whether Viktor Gyokeres would prefer a move to the Premier League amid links with Arsenal and Chelsea.
According to Dean Jones on Give Me Sport, Viktor Gyokeres might stay away from the Premier League at least ahead of next summer. The Swedish striker has had a fantastic season with Sporting CP, which has already attracted the attention of Arsenal and Chelsea.
Arsenal and Chelsea Scouring the Market for Strikers
The striker market is a complex place ahead of the January window, as so many of the top clubs will enter the next market in search of a prolific player in that position. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are among those keen on signing a new No.9, with the Blues desperately needing one to lead their line.
For Arsenal, they need someone who could complement Gabriel Jesus and someone to score plenty of goals. They have held an interest in several names, including Ivan Toney, Dominic Solanke, Victor Osimhem and Viktor Gyokeres.
There are even suggestions that Arsenal might sell Eddie Nketiah to raise funds for new signing and balancing their books for FFP. Hence, there are strong indications they could look for a striker. But one of their targets, Gyokeres, might snub a move to the Emirates next month.
Will Gyokeres Return to England in January?
Dean Jones has claimed that the Swedish forward does not want to enter a situation where the pressure gets the best of him. With that, the journalist ruled out a move to the Emirates or even Chelsea. The Blues are reportedly willing to trigger the in-demand striker’s £87 million release clause.
Jones said, “It’s been a brilliant season so far for Gyokeres, so it’s no great surprise that he has links with big teams in the Premier League at this point. The main issue I hear around this is that I’m not totally sure he sees that as his next move, even if it did become more realistic. I’m told that if he were to move, he might prefer to stay on the continent and look for a style that totally suits him and a club that is another step up from where he is now.”
“The pressure and expectation is enormous if you go and join Arsenal or Chelsea now, and if you don’t start well, you’re written off so quickly. Now that Gyokeres has stepped away from English football and is thriving, I wonder if he thinks about staying away for a while and, to be honest, I can imagine him moving to Bundesliga or Serie A next.”
Chelsea are eager to sign the striker and may have the finances to pay what is necessary to bring him. The £87 million-rated in-demand striker arrived at Sporting CP for only £20 million after a spell at Coventry City last season.
Hence, while Chelsea and Arsenal are massive clubs, they also bring significant challenges for the players. As Jones said, Gyokeres continues to thrive in an environment where the pressures of performing each week are less. He already has 25 goal involvements in 20 games across all competitions for Sporting CP this season.
