Mikel Arteta told £64m signing is ‘not adequate’ for Arsenal | Football

Mikel Arteta has been warned his £64m summer signing Viktor Gyokeres is ‘not adequate’ to steer the road for Arsenal or ‘take them to the Premier League title’.

Gyokeres has scored 10 goals in 29 appearances for the Gunners, just five of which have are available the Premier League.

The 27-year-old Sweden international boasted an incredible goalscoring record in Portugal with 97 in 102 games but has didn’t hit those heights since arriving on the Emirates Stadium.

Gyokeres was benched for Arsenal’s Premier League defeat to Manchester United last weekend, with Gabriel Jesus favoured by Arteta following his long injury lay-off.

The return of the also previously injured Kai Havertz will only increase the extent of competition within the Arsenal squad.

Arteta has repeatedly defended Gyokeres, insisting much of his contribution goes unnoticed, but Dietmar Hamann has already come to the conclusion that he just isn’t at Arsenal’s level.

‘I at all times said Arsenal needed a centre-forward,’ the previous Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich midfielder told CasinoBeats.

‘Any person who knows, whenever you go right down to the last 10 minutes, you possibly can mix it up, you set any individual put top, you’ve got an aerial threat, and also you occupy defenders because with a little bit of a physical presence you’ll create space for the wingers like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

‘In the event you give those wingers a little bit of space, they’re almost unstoppable. I still feel Arsenal need any individual.

‘I feel for the time being, regardless that Viktor Gyokeres didn’t start on the weekend, I don’t think he’s one among the highest strikers in Europe.

‘I feel he’s a goal scorer but nevertheless I don’t think a goal scorer against one of the best teams is enough because I don’t think he’ll get into positions where he can rating.

‘They brought Gyokeres in because the centre-forward but I don’t think he’s adequate. Whether that will likely be the deciding factor ultimately I don’t know but for the time being, it actually didn’t help Arsenal.

‘We saw Gyokeres at a couple of clubs before Sporting and I’m just undecided whether he’s got the power to play against one of the best defenders in Europe and within the Premier League.

‘It takes something more to even get into positions where you possibly can finish against players like this, and clearly you may have to complete probabilities too. It’s a really physical game and sometimes it may possibly wear you out.

‘In the event you do get a likelihood after 70 or 75 minutes, perhaps you lack that little bit of energy and concentration and also you miss it.

‘In Portugal he didn’t need to do an excessive amount of work going backwards and perhaps that would have saved him. Not every challenge was a full-on challenge.

‘Sometimes we’ve to provide players a little bit of time since it’s a difficult game but I’m undecided he’s got what it takes to steer the road for a club like Arsenal and take them to the title in all honesty.’

Gyokeres got on the scoresheet in Arsenal’s Champions League win over Kairat on Wednesday night because the Gunners clinched top-four within the group phase.

Following three league games with no win, Arteta will likely be desperate for Arsenal to get back to winning ways within the Premier League on Saturday when his side visit Leeds United.

Leeds endured a difficult begin to life back within the top-flight but have lost only once of their last 11 games because the start of December to drag six points clear of the relegation zone.

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