Arsenal chief Andrea Berta was a very busy man over his first summer transfer window at the club, but now one of his decisions is being seriously questioned.
Arsenal record highest summer net spend to back Mikel Arteta
The arrivals of Kepa, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, who all cost a combined £267 million, will undoubtedly play a major role as Mikel Arteta attempts to end the club’s long wait for a Premier League title.
|
Premier League Clubs’ Summer Spending |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Club |
Gross Spend |
Sales |
Net Spend |
|
5. |
Sunderland |
£183.4m |
£42m |
-£141.4m |
|
4. |
Tottenham |
£171.2m |
£17m |
-£154.2m |
|
3. |
Manchester United |
£232.4m |
£61.7m |
-£170.7m |
|
2. |
Liverpool |
£446.5m |
£228.1m |
-£218.4m |
|
1. |
Arsenal |
£267m |
£10m |
-£257m |
It’s been a near-perfect start for Arteta’s side this season, with the Gunners’ imperious defence largely to thank for Arsenal sitting three points clear of Man City at the top of the table.
William Saliba, who recently signed a new deal until 2030, and Gabriel Magalhaes have displayed once again why they’re two of world football’s best centre-backs right now, with David Raya also awarded improved terms after establishing him as one of Europe’s best goalkeepers.
Their solidity was once again evident last weekend as Arsenal battled to a narrow 1-0 win at Fulham, and they hugely profited off yet another dead-ball situation when Leandro Trossard tapped home the only goal of the game from a corner.
While Arsenal’s backline has made all the headlines, the same cannot be said of summer signing Gyokeres, who was brought in to be their main vocal point of attack after two seasons free-scoring in Portugal.
The Sweden international’s arrival for an initial £55 million from Sporting CP followed his extraordinary haul of 97 goals in just over a century of appearances for the Primeira Liga side, but Gyokeres hasn’t exactly replicated that form thus far.
The 27-year-old, after failing to score again versus Fulham, is now on a seven-game goalless run in all competitions, but this could well change at home to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League tonight.
Gyokeres was repeatedly denied by ex-Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno at Craven Cottage on Saturday, and his intent to trouble opposing shot-stoppers has been crystal clear from the get-go.
However, his numbers haven’t reflected this, with the Premier League’s all-time top scorer, Alan Shearer, now sharing his verdict on Berta’s big-name summer buy.
Alan Shearer says Berta paid over the odds to sign Viktor Gyokeres for Arsenal
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Shearer insists that Berta paid over the odds to sign Gyokeres for Arsenal, demanding more from the ex-Coventry City forward.
“I think they’ve paid too much for him. I would say the same with Benjamin Sesko at Manchester United,” Shearer explained.
“He’s definitely going to have to score more goals. But I do think he brings something to the Arsenal team. One of his positives is that he runs in behind which then will help create space for others to exploit.
“But there’s no doubt he’s going to have to improve his numbers with the goals because we said it last season, what Arsenal have needed, cried out for, is a goalscorer.”
However, while Shearer was critical of Gyokeres’ return, he does explain that the Scandinavian brings something game-changing to the Emirates.
“He’s only got three up to now, but they are looking really impressive as a team and I think he has added something different to the team.”
“Instead of coming short like Kai Havertz might or Mikel Merino might have, he offers something going the other way which then opens up a little bit of space.”
Gyokeres’ ability to hold up the ball and link play allows Arsenal’s creative midfielders to find space and launch attacks, even if he hasn’t yet consistently finished chances.
Moreover, Arteta’s new number nine is still adapting to the Premier League’s pace and intensity, which often takes time, and Gary Neville has tipped the player to “bully” lesser sides once he finds his feet in England.
With regular game time and continued development, Gyokeres’ goal tally is expected to improve, especially taking into account the chances he’s already created for himself on regular occasions in games.
That being said, with Kai Havertz expected to return from injury earlier than anticipated, Gyokeres could be looking over his shoulder if the goals don’t come more regularly soon.
