Arsenal: Gyokeres sent warning as surprise £52m replacement named; Arteta ‘problem’ explained | OneFootball

Arsenal summer signing Viktor Gyokeres has been warned that he could soon find himself on the bench as Noni Madueke has been backed to replace him.

The Gunners paid around £64m to sign Gyokeres to fix their No.9 problem in the summer, opting for the 27-year-old over Manchester United newbie Benjamin Sesko.

During his time at Sporting Lisbon, Gyokeres was one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, but he has struggled to replicate that form in the Premier League with Arsenal.

Gyokeres has only scored four goals in 13 Premier League appearances this term, so there have been calls for him to be removed from Arsenal’s starting XI.

Gabriel Jesus recently returned to full fitness, while Kai Havertz will provide extra competition once he is back later this month. Despite this, Mikel Arteta has publicly backed Gyokeres, who needs to be left alone.

“Well, two things. First of all, a lot of excitement, as it happened, because we were bringing in a proven goalscorer that had probably the best stats in Europe,” Arteta told TNT Sports when defending Gyokeres.

“And the second one, a player that comes to a different league, the most demanding league in the world, what happens if he doesn’t score for five or six goals [games]? That was my only question.

“How are you going to react if you don’t score in five or six goals [games]? Can you cope with that? And then what’s going to happen in the next 100 games? And that’s what you have to see.

“Again, the sample is very small. So, leave him alone, let him do what he does best, be behind him, and I’m sure things will turn up in the right way.”

However, pundit Tony Cascarino has explained Arteta’s “nice problem” in the No.9 department, with £52m signing Madueke supposedly having the tools to replace Gyokeres.

“I wouldn’t say he’s had a difficult time. He just hasn’t hit the ground running as expected,” Cascarino said on talkSPORT.

“He’s not going to get 25 goals this season. But I think over time he’ll gradually give a lot more to Arsenal. I think it’s going to be a slow burner for him.

“No one’s nailed down the No.9 spot at Arsenal. We’ve had Havertz, Gabriel Jesus. Obviously, they’ll be available, Jesus has already come back into the team this week. It’s a nice problem for Mikel Arteta because anyone who hits form will get that position.

“I’ll fire a spanner in the works here. I saw quite a lot of him at Chelsea, I actually think Noni Madueke could play centre-forward. He’s got all the qualities, that directness, sees the whites of the post, sees an opportunity to score a goal.

“I think he’s got that in his locker. People might go that’s not an option, but I watch him play and I think he’s got so many things that are good of for a player to get goals.

“So, from Merino to Havertz to Gabriel Jesus to Gyokeres, Arteta is going to have a lot of choice there. It’s finding the right blend, who fits in at a certain time.”