Viktor Gyokeres has broken his silence about a potential transfer exit from Arsenal after the striker admitted to wanting to play as many minutes as possible
Mikel Arteta can start thinking about Arsenal’s return to Premier League action as the final weekend of the extended international break approaches.
The Gunners boss can begin plotting the return of his 17 first-team stars who received call-ups to turn out for their countries in the Nations League and other non-European friendly matches. And the champions will want to hit the ground running after their 3-0 battering away at Brighton last time out.
Arteta will be eager to be reunited with his squad and set things straight before Leeds United’s Premier League visit on October 10. Several Arsenal stars also face fitness assessments to make the matchday squad against Leeds, including Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, who recently sustained knocks during their Nations League outings. Here, the Daily Star Sport delivers the latest news stories concerning the north London outfit.
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Viktor Gyokeres breaks silence
Viktor Gyokeres has dismissed speculation suggesting that he was on the verge of departing Arsenal during the summer.
The Gunners’ prolonged chase of Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez was common knowledge as they sought to bolster their attacking options.
Arteta had been candid following May’s Champions League final defeat – a match where Gyokeres entered as a substitute and appeared notably lacklustre – that the Gunners required additional star power in their forward line. Consequently, Gyokeres was suggested as a potential part-exchange for Alvarez should Arsenal manage to secure the 26-year-old.
However, Alvarez chose to stay at Atletico, after his preferred switch to Barcelona was prevented, leaving Gyokeres to understudy Kai Havertz this campaign as Arteta’s backup striker. The Swede, who has found the net twice during this international window, has now moved to quash speculation about Arsenal attempting to offload him in recent months.
Gyokeres said: “Of course, there was a lot of speculation. But I had a full pre-season, and it felt good. I was fully focused on Arsenal. For me, staying was a given. I’m extremely happy at the club.”
He added: “It’s clear that I want to play football and as much as possible. Hopefully that will come, too. You always want to be on the field as a football player. Of course you expect more playing time, but we have an extremely good squad with a lot of good players and have been doing well here at the start.”
Gyokeres has featured for just 29 minutes of Premier League action so far this season. The Swede was given a starting berth in the 1-0 triumph over Napoli in the Champions League, as well as completing the full 90 minutes in their 4-2 Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich Town.
Arsenal set for UEFA windfall
Arsenal are poised to pocket a portion of a £27m compensation package courtesy of UEFA. The governing body of European football intends to compensate clubs for permitting their players to participate in the 2024/25 iteration of the UEFA Nations League, as part of the Club Benefits Programme.
The scheme, which rewards teams for their players’ involvement in the governing body’s international tournaments, will see the cash pot divided among 611 clubs across all member associations. Across Nations League and European Qualifier matches, the Club Benefits Programme established a rate of €3,845 (£3,296) per eligible appearance on the match sheet.
In an official announcement on the UEFA website, the governing body president Aleksander Čeferin stated: “The Club Support Programme acknowledges the essential contribution that clubs add to the success of national team football.
“Through this Programme, we distribute a share of UEFA EURO and UEFA Nations League revenue to clubs across Europe, professional and amateur alike, in recognition of their role in developing players and releasing them for national team duty. When football thrives, everybody benefits.”
Although Arsenal are only anticipated to bank in the region of six figures, the windfall is still expected to assist ahead of the January transfer window.
Arsenal quoted £38.5m for defender
Arsenal have reportedly been told they must pay £38.5million to sign Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch. The 20-year-old is also on the radar of Real Madrid and a bidding war could be sparked for his signature in January or beyond.
According to Sport Witness, Stuttgart are bracing themselves for serious offers to arrive for the defender and have set his asking price at €45million (£38.5m).
The centre-back has started all four of Stuttgart’s Bundesliga games this season and played 23 times in the league last season as they secured Champions League football.