Gyokeres breaks silence on Alvarez swap talk and 'frustrating' role

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Viktor Gyokeres has spoken publicly for the first time about the transfer speculation that surrounded him over the summer, insisting a move away from Arsenal was never on his mind despite links to a swap deal involving Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez.

The Sweden international arrived from Sporting CP last summer and scored 21 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign, 14 of them in the Premier League, as Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the title.

That did not stop the rumour mill. Gyokeres was floated as a makeweight in a potential deal for Alvarez, while talk of a Barcelona switch gathered pace in the build-up to Deadline Day.

"Staying was a given"

Speaking to Swedish outlet SVT Sport, as relayed by the Evening Standard, the striker shut the door on the summer noise.

"Of course, there was a lot of speculation," Gyokeres said. "But I had a full pre-season, and it felt good. I was fully focused on Arsenal."

He added: "For me, staying was a given. I'm extremely happy at the club."

The Swede ultimately stayed put, and by his own account was never close to an exit.

Minutes hard to come by

Contentment at the club has come with a caveat, however. Gyokeres is yet to start a Premier League game this season and has been an unused substitute in three of the opening five matches.

"Of course, it's frustrating, no matter where you are," he said. "You always want to be on the pitch and make a contribution, score goals."

"It can be frustrating at times, but I just try to do my best when I get the chance and focus on what I can control."

The 12 months before that offered a very different picture. Gyokeres was central to Arsenal's title-winning season, and he was quick to reflect on it.

"It felt good last season; we won the league and did well in all the other competitions too," he said. "Of course, we could have won another title, but winning the Premier League after a 22-year wait is certainly something to be proud of."

Off the mark on international duty

Gyokeres did find the net on Friday evening, scoring what proved to be the winner for Sweden in their Nations League meeting with Romania.

His role for the national team is set to grow over the remainder of the autumn international break, with Alexander Isak having returned to Liverpool for assessment on a minor injury.

For Arsenal, the question now is how the striker's club minutes develop once the domestic schedule resumes. Gyokeres has made his position clear: he wants to be on the pitch, and he wants to stay. The next few weeks will show how those two things line up.