Gyökeres breaks silence on summer: “Arsenal was always on my mind” | OneFootball

Viktor Gyökeres decided to put an end to the speculation surrounding his future during the last summer transfer window. The Swedish striker was one of the names linked to a possible move that could have triggered a real domino effect between Arsenal and Atlético de Madrid, although in the end none of the pieces moved.

Amid rumors of a potential departure for Julián Álvarez from the rojiblanco side and Arsenal’s interest in the Argentine, Gyökeres emerged as one of the possible key figures in a deal that never came to fruition.

Now, during the international break, the forward made it clear what his stance was.

And he was even more emphatic when explaining his decision:

Gyökeres never considered leaving Arsenal

The Swedish striker found himself at the center of speculation during the final weeks of the transfer window. His lack of minutes at the start of the season only added fuel to the reports of a possible departure, while Arsenal were being linked with a potential move for Julián Álvarez.

Atlético de Madrid, if the Argentine had ended up leaving the Metropolitano, would have considered Gyökeres as one of the alternatives that could fit their project.

However, the move never happened.

The window closed and both Julián Álvarez and Gyökeres stayed at their respective clubs.

A difficult start in London

Staying at Arsenal has not meant, at least for now, a leading role for the Swede.

Gyökeres, 28, has played just 31 minutes across two Premier League appearances, while Kai Havertz has maintained an important place among Mikel Arteta’s attacking options.

That context was precisely one of the factors that fueled the speculation over the summer. However, the striker himself insists that he never allowed the rumors to affect his preparation.

As he explained, his focus was always on continuing at the Emirates Stadium.

Sweden gives him the spotlight again

During the international break, Gyökeres found a different setting with Sweden and once again showed his goalscoring ability in the Nations League.

The forward made the most of his minutes with the national team to put to one side, at least publicly, the doubts surrounding his situation and reaffirm his commitment to Arsenal.

The summer ended without the expected domino effect: Julián Álvarez stayed at Atlético and Gyökeres remained in London.

Now, the Swedish striker faces the challenge of earning a more important role in Arteta’s team and proving that his decision to stay at Arsenal can also translate into a bigger presence on the pitch.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.