Gyokeres is a smart buy, but Arsenal still need Eze – Micah Richards insists

|By Babatunji Wusu

…Ex-Man City star says Martinelli better off the bench
…Backs Gyokeres’ signing but raises consistency concerns

Former Manchester City defender and football pundit, Micah Richards, has weighed in on Arsenal’s recent summer transfer, branding Viktor Gyokeres a clever acquisition—but not enough.

Richards said Arsenal still lack depth on the wings and urged manager Mikel Arteta to go all out for Crystal Palace midfielder, Eberechi Eze, while suggesting Gabriel Martinelli should play more of a substitute role.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards praised Gyokeres, who recently joined Arsenal from Sporting CP in a £64 million deal, as the striker the club had long needed.

“How many times have we said Arsenal need a new striker? Every week last season,” he said. “They’ve needed one for a while now and I still believe they need a left winger as well. They’ve been linked with Eze, haven’t they?”

Richards wasn’t shy about his view on Martinelli’s current form:
“I think Martinelli can definitely do a job but he’s more of an impact player, great to have off the bench. So if they could get Eze, that would be amazing.”

On Gyokeres, Richards admitted he has potential but added a note of caution.

“In terms of Gyokeres, I think it’s a very good signing but I still think there are question marks if he can do it at this level consistently. I’ve watched loads of videos of him and I think he’s really good with his movement—he’s a really clever striker.”

“He’ll cause teams problems, and he’s exactly what Arsenal needed, for sure.”