Arsenal’s title-winning striker was an unused substitute again on Friday night, as Kai Havertz led the line in a 3-0 win over Coventry City at the Emirates. It followed the same script from the 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City in Cardiff five days earlier: Havertz starting, Viktor Gyokeres watching.
Off the pitch, COPE reporter Víctor Navarro says the 28-year-old Swede’s camp is “offering him to Barcelona daily”, and that his agent is pushing to secure a meeting with sporting director Deco.
Gyokeres has a contract at the Emirates until 2030. He was Arsenal’s leading scorer last season, finishing with 14 Premier League goals as the club ended a 22-year wait for the title. A £55m deal from Sporting CP, rising to around £64m with add-ons, was signed only 13 months ago.
Arteta said Gyokeres was staying
Mikel Arteta was asked about all of this after a pre-season friendly against Girona on 1 August. His answer was one sentence.
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“Yes, he’s going to stay,” Arteta told journalist Víctor Llebaria Escutia.
Havertz has started the Community Shield and the league opener ahead of him since. Arsenal have also spent through the summer on players who were not at the club when Gyokeres arrived: Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, Christos Tzolis as a replacement for Leandro Trossard, Piero Hincapie’s loan turned permanent and goalkeeper Illan Meslier from Leeds. The squad he joined is not the squad he is in now.
Barcelona want Lautaro first
Barcelona’s primary striker target remains Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez, after their long pursuit of Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez was blocked by CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin’s refusal to negotiate with a La Liga rival.
Hansi Flick’s side lost Robert Lewandowski on a free transfer and Ferran Torres to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and the number nine slot is the hole they have not been able to fill. Club Brugge’s Nicolò Tresoldi is being tracked as a cheaper alternative. Gyokeres, according to the same reports, sits in that alternative bracket rather than at the top of the shortlist.
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Barcelona have not made contact
Arsenal have not been approached by Barcelona and would only entertain a sale with a replacement lined up. That leaves the Swede’s camp doing the running.
The Premier League summer window shuts at 11pm BST on Tuesday 1 September. By that deadline, either Barcelona have moved on from Lautaro Martínez and put a real bid to Arsenal, or Gyokeres will start his second Arsenal season with Havertz still ahead of him.
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