It’s Saturday in Singapore!
The big news this morning is that Saturday in London will see Viktor Gyokeres undergo a medical before completing the formalities of his move from Sporting. To say this has been complicated is an understatement. To say it’s been protracted, even more so. But at last it looks as if the deal will be done and Arsenal will have signed the striker we need.
It’s reported he’s going to take the number 14 shirt, iconic at this club in terms of one particular goalscorer whose name I don’t need to mention, but worn also by the likes of Theo Walcott, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah to varying degrees of success. I don’t think the number adds any more pressure to be honest, there will already be significant spotlight on the Swedish international. Not just because this is one that has dominated headlines for so long, but because this particular signing – the ‘9’ (who wears 14) – has long been seen as the missing piece for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
I don’t necessarily agree with that in full, but I can completely understand why it’s an important piece. This manager has not spent often on forwards, which has been a bone of contention for some during his tenure, so after going all in on Gyokeres, the pressure for him to deliver goes well beyond what number he’s going to wear. I also kinda like his confidence if you do consider the idea that 14 adds some extra scrutiny.
The question now is whether or not he’ll travel to join up with the squad on the tour. Arsenal are in Singapore until Tuesday, before they travel to Hong Kong, and then return to England after the game against Sp*rs next Thursday. Asked about the possibility of integrating any new player as quickly as possible, Arteta said at his press conference yesterday:
Yes, for sure. Obviously, once we have analysed everything with a player, we would want to integrate him with the team as soon as possible,. With Noni it wasn’t possible because he needed some time and he’s going to take a short vacation. He said he wants to join straight away, as soon as we are back.
But the others, if we can do it immediately, I think it’s better, so he can start to join the team, get to know each other and get the ideas that we want to put in the mix.
So, if today goes without complication, it’s not impossible for the new man to travel, although I’m sure the club will weigh up the pros and cons. Perhaps the best thing might be for him to get settled in London for a few days, and start training at London Colney rather than take a couple of really long flights for a game he’s probably not even going to be ready to play in. Let’s see what happens, but all going well this summer’s longest running saga can come to an end. And we can get on with whatever else needs to be done.
Speaking of which, in The Independent, Miguel Delaney reports that ‘Arsenal are aiming to swiftly move to secure Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze once the deal for Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres is complete’, and that ‘those close to the player are confident a deal will be done in the next few weeks.’
Which perhaps tells you a little about the possible source of that information! Arteta has made it clear he’s open for more business, but as much as I love the idea of Eze, I do struggle a little to see exactly where he fits into this Arsenal team. Maybe the idea is to play him on the left, where has operated before, but the central areas are – if not chock-a-block – sufficiently full for there to be some question about where exactly a player of his quality would find regular starts. If that’s a problem the manager is keen to take on, then I’m all for it by the way.
Right, I’ll leave it there for this morning. If there are any Big Vik updates we’ll bring them to you on Arseblog News. Have a great Saturday folks!
