‘Mikel Arteta to save his job as Arsenal path cleared to seal Viktor Gyokeres move’
Mikel Arteta appears to have been handed the chance to finally add a world-class striker to the Arsenal squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
An out-and-out centre-forward is seemingly all that has been missing from the puzzle at the Emirates Stadium over the past couple of seasons, with the Gunners often lacking a presence in the final third.
Due to injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, and the club failing to sign a striker during the winter transfer window, Mikel Merino was adapted into a makeshift forward from the centre of midfield.
With nine goals and five assists across all competitions, the Spaniard certainly worked as a short-term fix for the North London club, but it is unlikely to keep the pressure off Arteta moving forward.
Mikel Arteta needs statement signing at the Emirates Stadium
Arsenal fans hounded Arteta after being knocked out of the Champions League semi-final by PSG, with many citing the team’s lack of a striker for not reaching the final this season.
Fans attacked the manager with the same reason for losing the Premier League title race to Arne Slot’s Liverpool, leaving the 43-year-old on very thin ice heading into the 2025/26 season.
Given the club’s serious targets under Arteta, and now the addition of Andrea Berta as the new sporting director, there is no reason for the Gunners not to make big-money signings this summer.
Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres appears to be a concrete option for Arsenal, with Football Insider understanding in May that the 27-year-old would be “happy” to make the switch.
Arsenal can win the race for Viktor Gyokeres this summer
Chelsea and Man United have also been mentioned in the race for the star striker’s signature, with Football Insider reporting that Ruben Amorim’s side are working tirelessly for the “dream signing” in Gyokeres.
However, the latest update from Record in Portugal (14 June) would suggest that the Gunners are now leading the race after the Sporting star said “no” to a move to Old Trafford and a reunion with his former manager.
While Stamford Bridge could still be a destination for the former Coventry City man this summer, it has felt as though the Red Devils were Arteta’s biggest rivals for the player’s signature, and the Blues have already brought in Liam Delap from Ipswich.
With the Manchester club seemingly out of the race, Arsenal‘s path to a world-class centre-forward signing has cleared significantly, and the club must act quickly to alleviate the pressure in North London.
Arteta needs that one final signing to create a title-winning squad, and with just one trophy since his arrival in 2019, the Spaniard is running out of time to prove himself. Now is the time to act.