Viktor Gyokeres may have been the leading goalscorer in 2024 – but Arsenal and Manchester United should steer clear of him.
That’s the opinion of ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney, who believes the Sweden international would not win either of the two teams the Premier League.
Sporting striker Gyokeres is expected to depart Portugal this summer[/caption]
Gyokeres has established himself as one of Europe’s most lethal forwards since swapping Coventry for Sporting Lisbon in 2023.
His first season in Portugal saw him finding the back of the net on 43 occasions in all competitions – firing Sporting to their first league title in three years.
And he has continued his fine form into this campaign, where he has chipped in with 42 goals in all competitions from as many matches.
With 62 goals for club [52] and country [ten] in 2024, the 26-year-old was crowned as the world’s best scorer last calendar year.
Having established himself as a goal machine, Gyokeres has been heavily tipped to depart the Estadio Jose Alvalade in 2025.
Despite the ex-Brighton man boasting a release clause of around £85million in his contract, talkSPORT understands that Sporting will allow him to depart for around £58.5m.
Arsenal are one of the teams eyeing up a summer swoop for the player having identified him as a cheaper alternative to Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.
Mikel Arteta has made bringing in a centre-forward his top priority in a bid address their lack of options up top with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus out with serious injuries.
Meanwhile United are also believed to be keeping tabs on the striker in a deal which would see him reunite with former boss Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
But both the Red Devils and the Gunners have been warned by Deeney that Gyokeres is not the right player for them.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com, Deeney was asked who out of Arsenal and United would be a better fit for the player.
To which he acknowledged that what he was about to say may seem controversial to some.
He said: “You know when you say something the clip is going to come back in six months.
“I genuinely think he’s a good footballer, he works really hard, all of that.
“But I don’t think he’s a natural finisher.
“And again, everyone is going to pull up his goal record, I get that.
“But I don’t think he takes either of those two to winning the Premier League.
“That’s just my opinion, and if he did, they’d have already bought him.”
And Deeney is also of the opinion that Gyokeres’ output would be nothing like it is in Portugal should he link up with a top-flight team.
The former Birmingham striker likened the player to Darwin Nunez, who scored 34 goals in his final year at Benfica before joining Liverpool in 2022.
In what is his third season in the Premier League, Nunez is yet to score more than 11 league goals – and is on just five strikes for the leaders this term.
Discussing the quality in Portugal, he remarked: “It’s not the same league (as the English top-flight).
“And we’ll find that out when Gyokeres comes over.”
Arsenal fans – and Arteta – got a first-hand look at Gyokeres in the club’s Champions League meeting at Sporting in November.
Gyokeres hit the post late in the encounter, but was powerless to stop his side from losing 5-1.
Though he did show his class against Manchester City earlier that month – banging in a hat-trick in a famous 4-1 victory.
With Gyokeres showing no sign of slowing down, it’s surely only a matter of time before the player tests himself in the Premier League.
And only then can we see whether Deeney will be having the last laugh, or is forced to eat humble pie.
