Viktor Gyokeres has found himself at the centre of a surprising transfer story, with reports in Spain claiming the Arsenal striker could be considering an exit just one year after arriving in north London.
According to Spanish outlet Cope, Gyokeres is reportedly having “daily” conversations about a potential move to Barcelona, with his representatives said to be in contact with Barça sporting director Deco. However, the report also suggests Barcelona are not currently convinced about pursuing the Sweden international.
The claims come as something of a surprise given Gyokeres’ recent comments about life at Arsenal.
Gyokeres reportedly unhappy at Arsenal
Gyokeres joined Arsenal after establishing himself as one of Europe’s most prolific forwards at Sporting, where he scored 97 goals in just 102 appearances.
His first season in England was productive, too. The Swedish striker scored 21 goals in 56 appearances across all competitions as Arsenal won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final.
Despite those numbers, Gyokeres was not always Mikel Arteta’s first choice in the biggest matches.
The Arsenal manager occasionally preferred Kai Havertz, particularly when the team needed greater hold-up play and a different tactical option in attack. Gyokeres also faced criticism for aspects of his overall game, despite his impressive goalscoring record.
His performances against some of the strongest teams in the league were another talking point, with his record against last season’s top 10 reportedly contributing to Arsenal exploring other attacking options.
That has fuelled speculation that the club could eventually look at alternatives, including reported interest in Julian Alvarez.
However, the idea that Gyokeres is desperate to leave Arsenal does not appear to fit with what the striker himself has said recently.
Gyokeres previously insisted he was happy
Speaking to Fotbollskanalen earlier this summer, Gyokeres appeared to dismiss concerns about his future and insisted he was enjoying his time at Arsenal.
“Of course it’s flattering to see that clubs are interested, but I feel extremely comfortable at Arsenal,” he said.
The striker added that, following Arsenal’s successful campaign, he had “only positive feelings”.
Those comments make the latest reports particularly intriguing.
Gyokeres has also appeared to embrace the competition for a starting place with Havertz. The German spent significant periods of Arsenal’s title-winning campaign injured, giving Gyokeres opportunities to establish himself as Arteta’s main attacking option.
Arsenal unlikely to sell Gyokeres
For now, an immediate Arsenal exit appears unlikely.
Gyokeres is reportedly not among the club’s leading candidates to leave before the transfer window closes, while Gabriel Jesus is also believed to have attracted interest from Barcelona.
Arsenal therefore have little reason to rush into a decision over the Swedish forward, particularly after investing heavily in bringing him to the club.
His value is currently estimated at around €65 million by Transfermarkt, although Arsenal’s valuation would likely be influenced by the length of his contract and the club’s willingness to sell.
There is also an important factor in Gyokeres’ relationship with Arsenal: he has only just begun his career at the Emirates.
After becoming one of Europe’s most feared strikers at Sporting, he now has the opportunity to establish himself in the Premier League and compete for major honours with the Gunners.
For that reason, reports of a Barcelona move should probably be treated with caution at this stage.
Unless the situation changes dramatically in the coming weeks, Gyokeres is expected to remain part of Arteta’s plans as Arsenal prepare for the new Premier League season.
The Gunners’ next league fixture will see them face Coventry City when Premier League action returns, giving Gyokeres another opportunity to show why Arsenal made such a significant investment in him.
