Viktor Gyokeres’ Arsenal future unsure as Julian Alvarez switch pursuit continues
Viktor Gyokeres was one of the standout signings of the summer 2025 transfer window, but the Arsenal striker’s future at the Emirates is now in major doubt
Viktor Gyokeres is out of favour at Arsenal(Image: David Price, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Viktor Gyokeres was supposed to be Arsenal’s answer to their striker woes when he arrived last summer for £64million last season.
While Arsenal eventually ended their trophy wait by landing the Premier League, Gyokeres wasn’t exactly the driving force of their title push, with just one of his 14 strikes in the league last season being match-winning.
The pursuit of the Swede was bitter after he went on strike at Sporting, and while Gunners fans will argue he did contribute significantly to their title win, he’s clearly not impressed Mikel Arteta who left him on the bench in the opening two games this season.
Viktor Gyokeres has remained an unused substitute in the opening two league games of the season(Image: Neal Simpson/Allstar, Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, behind the scenes, it’s reported that Arsenal were making a concerted effort to secure the signature of Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.
The forward, considered one of Europe’s finest, has been at the heart of a transfer saga involving Barcelona, but Atletico have dismissed the idea of selling him to their La Liga competitors.
Consequently, it paved the way for Arsenal, given there was a mounting sense that Atletico might be more inclined to conduct business with a club beyond Spain’s borders, alongside speculation of Gyokeres heading in the reverse direction.
Julian Alvarez has snubbed Arsenal(Image: Angel Martinez, Getty Images)
Or so they believed, as it emerged Alvarez had zero interest in returning to England, leaving Arsenal red-faced.
There had been murmurs that if Arsenal had secured Alvarez’s signature, it could spell trouble for Gyokeres, considering Arteta’s obvious fondness for Havertz. That scenario now appears unlikely and the former Coventry striker looks set to remain at Arsenal past tonight’s 11pm cut-off.
Yet that doesn’t automatically guarantee his long-term future lies at the Emirates Stadium. The complete absence from both league fixtures thus far will sound warning signals, and while game time should increase once the Champions League campaign kicks off, it would require something extraordinary for Gyokeres to muscle his way back into Arteta’s plans.
Furthermore, Alvarez might have declined this time round, but that doesn’t suggest his stance cannot shift down the line, particularly considering how fractured his relationship with Atletico seems to have become.
This could be one to monitor over the coming months.
