Arteta Delivers Bold "Killer" Warning About Viktor Gyokeres Threat
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is convinced that Viktor Gyökeres possesses the "lethal finishing ability" that will bring triumph to the Swedish striker in north London, and believes his latest signing can feature alongside Kai Havertz instead of taking his place in the squad.
Gyökeres has joined the Emirates Stadium amid great excitement, concluding Arsenal's extended hunt for a central forward whose primary role will be finding the back of the net.
The Gunners have claimed second place in the Premier League across the past three campaigns, with mounting expectations to secure their first championship in 21 years now expected to weigh on Arteta following Gyökeres's acquisition from Sporting CP for an upfront sum of £54.8 million ($74.2 million) that may increase by an additional £8.6 million through performance bonuses.
Arteta's new recruit faces his inaugural Premier League challenge with a visit to Manchester United—a clash that becomes even more intriguing given the Red Devils' previous pursuit of Gyökeres before opting for Benjamin Šeško, another target Arsenal had been monitoring.
In conversation with Sky Sports before the match, Arteta discussed Gyökeres's attributes extensively, examining his attitude since joining the club and outlining his expectations for the 27-year-old's on-field contributions.
"That's the scouting process, that's one of the aspects I was most focused on," Arteta explained. "We need to acquire a player who can wear that jersey from day one, enter the changing room and have everyone declare 'He possesses it'. Viktor certainly has that quality.
"He possesses that magnetism, he has that character and he's a truly self-assured individual. We've witnessed in the initial weeks already how he's conducting himself, his behavior during training. Everything comes naturally to him.
"When you examine his scoring statistics, we haven't had a player who has netted that many goals over the previous two seasons. That finishing instinct, that skill, that intuition within the penalty area to receive the ball and place it into the goal is something extremely special.
Arteta: Gyökeres Can Feature Alongside Havertz
There have been suggestions that Gyökeres's signing will force Havertz out of Arsenal's first team, with the German having spent recent seasons operating as a striker after originally emerging at Bayer Leverkusen in a more conventional attacking midfielder role.
However, Arteta envisions a scenario where both players can work together, indicating his team selections might not be as straightforward as many anticipate.
"Absolutely, they can feature together," Arteta stated. "One of Kai's greatest strengths particularly is his ability to operate in multiple positions. He's demonstrated that with us, he's shown that at the elite level.
"Now we possess alternatives; on the right flank we have choices, on the left we have options. That diversity and that internal competition for spots, the ability to influence matches when required will create a different level of danger.