Keown backs Arsenal’s Gyokeres pursuit

|By Babatunji Wusu-

-Gunners legend says striker can end team’s goalscoring struggles
-Gyokeres ready to take pay cut to join Premier League side

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has thrown his weight behind the club’s pursuit of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, calling the move a solution to the Gunners’ long-standing goalscoring woes.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Keown described Gyokeres as a perfect fit for Mikel Arteta’s squad, insisting the Swedish forward possesses all the qualities Arsenal currently lack in attack.

“This guy [Gyokeres] is rock solid. You can play the ball into him, he holds it up well, he has pace, power, and I think he’s quite emphatic in front of goal,” Keown said.

He noted that the absence of a reliable striker has been the club’s Achilles heel in recent seasons, costing them a Premier League title despite coming agonizingly close.

“Arsenal desperately need a striker,” Keown emphasized, adding that most supporters believe a strong finisher could have made all the difference in their recent title bids.

The Gunners are reportedly making significant progress in the race to sign Gyokeres. According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, the 26-year-old striker is willing to accept a pay cut to seal the move to North London.

Despite initial resistance from Sporting CP, Arsenal is believed to have reached personal terms with the player. Negotiations between both clubs are still ongoing, with the Gunners hopeful of sealing a deal before the start of the new season.

Gyokeres, who scored 29 goals in all competitions for Sporting last season, has become one of Europe’s most sought-after forwards.

If the transfer goes through, the Swedish international could become a central figure in Arsenal’s hunt for silverware next season.