Michael Owen has doubts about whether Viktor Gyokeres might be the difference-maker for Arsenal in the ultimate months of the Premier League title race.
Gyokeres has had a mixed first season on the Emirates Stadium following his £64m move from Sporting last summer.
The Swede has been nowhere near as profilic as he was at Sporting, and has endured two fairly substantial goal droughts already this season.
However the 27-year-old has shown signs of improvement in Mikel Arteta’s side for the reason that turn of the yr, scoring six times in his last nine outings in all competitions.
Despite that, former Liverpool striker Owen is just not fully convinced by what he has seen from Gyokeres and insisted Arteta might turn to Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz as a substitute in key games towards the tip of the season.
‘He’s not for me, probably not,’ Owen, the UK ambassador for the online casino comparison site Casino.org, told Metro when asked about Gyokeres.
‘Listen, I don’t mind him. I feel he’ll definitely be a source of goals in case you play him in every game. But however, I could probably play in every game for Arsenal; they’re the most effective team in the mean time and create plenty of probabilities.
Get your football fix
Don’t desire to miss the week’s biggest football stories? Metro’s exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.
From the most recent transfer rumours and managerial moves to evaluation of the largest games and rather a lot more, our experts have you ever covered.
Enroll here, it’s an open goal.
‘But is he the reply? I’m not so sure. He’s actually an asset to the team. You’d expect paying £60m for a striker, for him to be the stand-out striker, the go-to player. But I don’t know.’
Owen continued: ‘I feel if the Champions League final was tomorrow, would Mikel Arteta play him? Or would he pick Jesus or Havertz? I feel so. And that probably answers the query.
‘Yes, he’s an asset. But I’m wanting more, expecting more if I’m an Arsenal fan. Now, that’s to not say he’s been a flop in any respect. He’s obviously very capable. He’s good in front of goal.
‘But you’re talking Arsenal here. They’ve got good players anyway. Is he an uplift? Is he an upgrade on what they’ve got? He’s actually different to what they’ve got. And definitely an asset to the squad.
‘But I’m probably wanting a bit greater than an asset to the squad if I’m paying £60-something million.’
Former Gunners striker Ian Wright feels similarly about Gyokeres, but insisted the Swede could grow into the role if Arsenal recover from the road and win the title this yr.
Asked whether Gyokeres has been a ‘hit, miss or a possibly’ for Arsenal, Wright recently said on the Stick with Football podcast: ‘A possibly, a possibly.
‘Fingers crossed for him, it’s a possibly at once. If we’re judging him just on goals… you possibly can probably say yeah [he’s met expectations], but you judge him on the whole lot he’s bringing to the team.
‘He’s just any individual who I feel, so long as we will finish it off [the title race], next yr he’ll come stronger. So I’m a possibly.’
Arsenal will look to get back to winning ways and keep alive their unprecedented quadruple hopes alive on Sunday, after they host League One side Wigan Athletic within the FA Cup fourth round.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Latest Tottenham boss Igor Tudor told he ‘can only fail’ in relegation battle
MORE: Ian Wright names two Premier League stars ‘he could see at Arsenal’
MORE: Erling Haaland injury latest as striker misses Manchester City vs Salford in FA Cup