Paul Scholes argues Gyokeres ‘suitability’ for Arsenal

Paul Scholes has expressed doubts over Viktor Gyokeres’ suitability for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side.

This follows the striker’s £64 million move from Sporting Lisbon.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, the Manchester United legend questioned whether Gyokeres was Arteta’s first-choice signing, pointing to Arsenal’s prolonged negotiations and indecision.

Gyokeres, who struggled during an earlier stint at Brighton, rebuilt his career at Coventry City before exploding at Sporting, where he scored 97 goals in 102 appearances, including 52 last season and a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City.

While acknowledging the Swede’s impressive record, Scholes queried his tactical fit at Arsenal.

He said that Gyokeres thrived in a counter-attacking system at Sporting, which contrasts with Arsenal’s possession-heavy approach.

“Is he going to be clever enough to make those runs in behind when Arsenal dominate the ball?” Scholes asked.

He also contrasted Gyokeres with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, suggesting the latter possesses the movement and intelligence suited to a team like Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Gyokeres’ lacklustre debut, just two touches in 13 minutes during a 1-0 loss to Spurs in Hong Kong, did little to silence critics.