Arsenal legend, Ian Wright has rejected concerns about Viktor Gyokeres lacking experience in a top tournament, he believes greatly in this striker.
The Gunners faced criticism from fans and experts for not being able to bring back a real striker last season, causing the club to end the fifth season in a row without winning any big titles.
Arsenal leadership and coach Mikel Arteta agreed that signing a contract with a striker was the top priority in the summer transfer window 2025. And after weeks of negotiation and speculation, the North London team officially defeated MU to win the signature of Viktor Gyokeres. The Gunners accepted 64 million pounds for this deal.
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Ian Wright talks about Arsenal's rookie Viktor Gyokeres. |
Gyokeres scored 54 goals in 52 matches to help Sporting win the domestic double last season, but there were still some skeptical people surrounding Gyokeres's ability, who had not challenged themselves in one of the top five tournaments in Europe.
The former Arsenal striker, Ian Wright, said he recalled the early days of Arsenal when discussing Gyokeres, with similar questions posed after Ian Wright moved from Crystal Palace to Arsenal in 1991, he said:
“I spent 5 seasons in the First Division, after I signed a contract with Arsenal, there were a lot of talk. They asked the question we signed with him for? We have Paul Merson, we have Kevin Campbell, we have Alan Smith, and we have Andy Cole. Why do we sign a contract with him? He just played in the First Division!
They have been the champion for the past three years, but what I realized more than anything else I went to a place where I had risen to a new level. I scored 2 goals and I only touched the ball 5 times, then all the gossip down.
What you realized was the same for Gyokeres. I heard Mark Robins from Coventry said that every time Gyokeres practiced, he maintained great determination, he was very hasty, which helped him grow dramatically. Everyone was talking about the tournament that Gyokeres played and the fact that he did not score against the top teams in Europe on a regular basis, he only scored from the penalty spot, but that was not important.
What I have heard and what I love from Gyokeres is that he always desires to score. I think when he has the opportunity he will seize it. All he needs to focus is to score and seize the opportunity. ”