Former Teammate's Shocking Revelation Sparks Concerns About Gyokeres's Potential Arsenal Move
Sporting CP midfielder Pedro Gonçalves revealed that the entire squad needed considerable time to accommodate Viktor Gyökeres's playing preferences, which clashed with a short-passing philosophy—exactly the tactical framework that Mikel Arteta has carefully developed at Arsenal throughout the past five years.
Gyökeres moved to Sporting in 2023 following three seasons in the Championship. England's second division had finally discovered the striker's scoring prowess, though his overall game lacked polish. Finding the net was his sole focus. His former Coventry City boss Mark Robins once noted: "If he didn't score after a game he'd be in a foul mood."
Before Gyökeres's signing, Ruben Amorim had molded Sporting into a possession-focused team featuring an adaptable attack—the Portuguese club's initial championship under the future Manchester United manager occurred while Gonçalves, a slender attacking midfielder, led the team in scoring.
Gyökeres's integration required substantial tactical adjustments that weren't always smooth. "With Viktor, it took us longer to adapt because he wasn't a player who sought connections, first touches, and those one-twos, but rather depth," Gonçalves told Sporting's official website.
"At that time, it was harder for me to adapt to his style of play, but since then, he's made history for the club, as we know it."
This tendency to race past the opposing defense is reflected in statistical data. Gyökeres accumulated 85 runs behind the defensive line during the 2024–25 season, per SkillCorner (via The Athletic). To contextualize that impressive figure, it exceeds twice the next most active striker in Portugal and surpasses the top mark among Premier League center forwards from the previous campaign—Nicolas Jackson recorded 61 while playing for Chelsea.
Arsenal predominantly utilized Kai Havertz as their central striker last season before injury pushed midfielder Mikel Merino into an unusual position. Both players typically withdrew from the front line rather than making forward runs as Arsenal aimed to methodically construct attacks through quick passes.
Gyökeres's influence on the north London club has become apparent. Only Manchester City recorded a higher percentage of passes covering less than 15 yards than Arsenal last season. This campaign, half the league is more inclined toward short passing than Arteta's transforming team.
Sporting successfully made the necessary adjustments. Gyökeres proceeded to net 97 goals across 102 appearances for the Portuguese side while securing consecutive league championships.
Despite initial questions about his adjustment to Arsenal's demanding defensive pressing requirements, Gyökeres has displayed glimpses of the lethal finishing that persuaded the club to invest up to £64 million ($86.3 million) this summer.