Arsenal transfer news: Viktor Gyökeres has told Swedish broadcaster TV4 that he wants to stay at Arsenal, answering the exit talk that has followed a season of limited starts. The 28-year-old said he has played well recently and feels very comfortable, even though Mikel Arteta now picks Kai Havertz ahead of him in the Premier League. Gyökeres has made one league start and played only 181 minutes.

He also dismissed any suggestion of a rift. His relationship with Arteta has not changed, he said, and the two still discuss the opposition and his tactical job before any match he starts. Transfer Feed relayed the comments.

Strengths, weaknesses and the tactical fit

The numbers explain Arteta’s caution. Gyökeres, a £55 million signing from Sporting, scored 21 goals last season, 14 of them in the league, and finished as Arsenal’s top scorer in the title-winning campaign. He brings strength, sharp runs in behind and a dependable penalty. Yet he scored only once against a top-10 finisher in the league, and he offers less hold-up play and pressing than Havertz in a side that scores so often from crosses and set pieces.

Arsenal’s attack has also thinned out. Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard have left, and Ethan Nwaneri is on loan at Borussia Dortmund. Football Insider reported that the club could listen to offers in January, which sits awkwardly with Gyökeres’ pledge.

Should Arsenal keep Gyökeres beyond January?

Yes, and selling him in January would be a mistake. Arsenal lead the table with 27 points from 10 games, five clear of Brighton in second, and they still have the Champions League and FA Cup on top of the league. That schedule demands two centre-forwards Arteta trusts, and Havertz has already missed time with a hamstring problem this term. Selling Gyökeres would leave the manager one injury from a thin forward line, and a January replacement rarely arrives cheap or settled.

The better answer is a clearer role. Gyökeres suits matches that stretch open, when his pace behind the defence and physical presence cause problems, so he deserves those starts in Europe and the FA Cup. Arteta should also push him to link play faster with Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka.

The £55 million fee argues for patience, not permanence. If he is still a rotation option by next May, a summer sale would recover a fair part of that outlay while he is 28 and still marketable.