Cristiano Ronaldo Weighs In on Viktor Gyokeres as Arsenal Striker Struggles to Find Form
Cristiano Ronaldo praised Arsenal's latest summer signing Viktor Gyökeres as an "exceptional talent" amid some surprisingly early doubts.
Following threats of extortion and potential strike action, Arsenal finally completed a transfer for Gyökeres during the summer window. The new addition, whose fee could reach €73 million (£63.4 million, $85.1 million) with all performance bonuses activated, experienced a delayed integration into Mikel Arteta's main squad, only linking up halfway through their Asian pre-season tour.
After his brief appearance in the loss to Tottenham Hotspur, which consisted of just two ball contacts, Gyökeres received his inaugural start against Villarreal on Wednesday. The powerful striker remained largely invisible during his 63-minute display in the 3–2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, prompting Arteta to publicly support his high-profile acquisition before he has even featured in official competition.
Ronaldo was equally enthusiastic in his assessment of Gyökeres, who netted 97 times in 102 matches for Sporting CP. Viewing his departure from Lisbon from a Portuguese perspective, the former Sporting winger remained optimistic that his former club could adequately replace their prolific scorer.
"We only feel the absence of those who were present, as the saying goes. I'm confident Sporting will remain competitive," he stated to gathered media following Al Nassr's recent exhibition match against Rio Ave.
"Gyökeres was an exceptional talent, but the squad must adjust accordingly. I'm convinced [Luis Javier] Suárez, who joined from Almería, is a superb striker. [Conrad] Harder is also promising, youthful, and requires development time. I watched the Super Cup; Sporting played admirably against Benfica, but victory eluded them simply because it wasn't meant to be—such is football."
Former Arsenal legend Ian Wright expressed admiration for Gyökeres's apparent hunger for success, drawing parallels between the Swedish player's winding path and his own delayed arrival in north London. "I recall Mark Robins from Coventry mentioning that whenever Gyökeres practiced, he appeared like someone racing against time, urgently trying to compensate for lost opportunities, and I completely understood that sentiment because upon reaching Arsenal I recognized I was somewhere I could recover lost ground," Wright reflected.
Gyökeres has additional time before his official Arsenal bow. The Gunners face Athletic Club on Saturday before heading to Manchester United's Old Trafford venue for the highlight match of the Premier League's opening round.