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Alan Shearer shares what he really thinks about Arsenal buying Viktor Gyokeres

Lucas Arnold

Thu 10 July 2025 7:35, UK

Arsenal are now in the midst of thrashing out a deal to sign goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.

Viktor Gyokeres has scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting, a ratio that no Arsenal player has been able to get anywhere near in recent years.

Gyokeres scored 39 league goals last season, and Mikel Arteta’s highest scorer domestically was Kai Havertz with nine.

No Arsenal player achieved double digits for Arteta in the Premier League last term, partly explaining why they weren’t ultimately able to challenge Liverpool for the title.

But if Arsenal complete a move for Gyokeres, there should be fresh hope that things can change next season.

Alan Shearer explains why Viktor Gyokeres will be incredible for Arsenal

That being said, both Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker have offered their thoughts on Arsenal’s move for Gyokeres on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast.

And whilst Lineker seemed to have some reservations about the Swede stepping up from Portuguese football, Shearer didn’t seem concerned at all.

READ MORE: How much cash Arsenal actually have left to spend on Rodrygo after Viktor Gyokeres deal

Asked if Gyokeres was the right man for Arteta, Shearer replied: “Yeah, that’s what they need. And we’ve said it, they needed it last summer. I mean, you look at his numbers the last couple of years, they’re outstanding. They’re off the charts good.”

Lineker replied: “I think it’s 68 [league games] and 66 [goals] to be precise.”

Shearer: “Yeah, incredible. I mean, they are so impressive numbers. So that’s exactly what Arsenal have needed.

“And there’s no doubt I think in that team, he’ll score goals. And that’s what their fans demand and needed. So yeah, they’ll be a huge threat as well.”

Lineker: “It’ll be a challenge for him because it is different, obviously. We saw Darwin Nunez come in, didn’t we, scoring, not quite to that degree, but not far off in Portugal, then going to Liverpool and obviously, it’s never really happened for him.

“He’s had his moments, of course. So, you know, it’s a bit of pressure on, there’s always pressure when you move. I mean, he’s experienced, he’s got a bit of experience, obviously quite a lot of experience of English football.

“But obviously Arsenal would have, I’m sure, had scrutinized him closely and watched a lot of his football in the last two years.”

No Arsenal player was able to score 10 Premier League goals last season

As mentioned, no Arsenal player was able to finish on 10 goals or more in the Premier League last season, which is pretty incredible itself considering the Gunners finished second.

Havertz and Bukayo Saka were both injured for long periods, but it’s a remarkable record when you consider that the likes of Chris Wood and Bryan Mbeumo both scored 20.

And whether Gyokeres finds it slightly difficult to step up to the Premier League or not, he’ll be confident that he can easily top the goalscoring charts for Arteta.

There seems to be an insistence among some parts of the Arsenal fan base right now that Gyokeres won’t get the time and space he needs whilst playing in the Premier League. 

But similar was probably said about the likes of Erling Haaland before they came to England, a striker who certainly hasn’t struggled to replicate his own goalscoring from the Bundesliga.