While Viktor Gyokers is preparing for his start of life at Arsenal, a former Premier League manager has outlined their surprise about the Swedish star who cost the Gunners £ 63.7 million
Tony Pulis admits that he was not surprised that “desperate” Arsenal got a deal about the line for Viktor Gyokeres – but is astonished that no Premier League teams tried to sign the Swedish Hitman when he scored goals for Coventry City.
Gyokeres, 27, recently came to the Gunners of Sporting Lisbon in a deal with a value of around £ 63.7 million. His arrival put an end to Mikel Arteta's striving for a striker.
After having contributed 97 goals and 28 assists in 102 performances for sport, many gyokeres have advertised as the last part of the puzzle for Arsenal, who ended the last three Premier League campaigns in a row second. While the former Stande City and West Brom manager knew that Arsenal would eventually close a deal, he is astonished that no one in the Premier League took a chance to take him earlier.
Pulis said: “Mikel Arteta has had a huge pressure to make a center ahead and there is a lot of driving. But I was very impressed by Gyokees in Coventry City.
“I thought he was doing fantastically and I was very, very surprised that a team from the lower level of the Premier League did not take a chance with him, did not take a point on him.”
Pulis, who wrote in his Betvictor column, added: “But he went to Portugal there and he did extremely well. Let's see how he does that. It is a very interesting year because Arsenal will create many opportunities.
“Arteta gave him the chance – they are a fantastic football club, but they are also desperate. A Premier League title would be incredible to them, it is a big season for Mikel Arteta.”
The Gyokeres debut season in Coventry was slow because he only managed to contribute three goals in 19 performances in the 2020-21 campaign. He found his feet the following year when he contributed 17 goals and five assists, before he exploded in his last season with a remarkable count of 21 goals and 10 assists, because the club was just short of promotion.
Although there were some vague links to the Premier League, Sporting was the club that went all the way to sign him for a club record £ 20 million. They have earned back their reimbursement and so much more from the North London.
Last season, goals were found to be the downfall of the Gunners. She held the best defense in the Premier League with a large margin, so that they only send 34 goals with the second best record that was held by Champions Liverpool, who admitted 41.
However, as an inability to complete teams, they score 69 goals, 17 fewer than the Merseysiders. Arsenal's count Last season was 22 less than the 91 goals they gathered in the 2023-24 campaign, where they only ended two points behind Manchester City.
Gyokees is expected to be the most important source of goals at the Emirates Stadium. Yet Pulis has warned the Swede that he will find it more difficult in the Premier League than in Portugal. The Welshman added: “The Portuguese League is very different.
“There are similarities with Holland, because there are three or four really good teams, no lack of respect for the others, but the big clubs have a much higher standard of players and more depth in their squadrons. Those teams end comfortably at the top, and that will change for Viktor Gyokeres; he goes at a team of team in week in the week that he is not used to the week.”