Gyokeres breaks silence on Arsenal future after Alvarez swap claim

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Viktor Gyokeres has addressed the speculation that surrounded his Arsenal future in the summer, insisting staying at the Emirates was never in doubt despite claims he could have been used as a makeweight in a deal for Julian Alvarez.

The Sweden international scored in his country's 3-1 Nations League win over Poland, a timely goal for a striker who has found minutes hard to come by in his second season in north London.

According to football.london, Arsenal pursued Atletico Madrid forward Alvarez in the summer to add firepower to their Premier League title defence, with Gyokeres mooted as a potential part of the deal given Atletico's reported admiration for him. Barcelona were also said to be in the mix for the 26-year-old, but Diego Simeone's side blocked any exit and Alvarez stayed in Madrid.

"Staying was a given"

Speaking after the Poland game, Gyokeres made clear his own position never wavered.

"Of course, there was a lot of speculation. But I had a full pre-season, and it felt good. I was fully focused on Arsenal," he said. "For me, staying was a given. I'm extremely happy at the club."

The 28-year-old's game time tells its own story. Gyokeres has featured just twice in the Premier League this season, having been an unused substitute in the opening wins over Coventry City and Aston Villa before a 12-minute cameo against Chelsea. He also came off the bench for 17 minutes in last week's 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

His starts have come in cup competition, with a full outing in the 4-2 Carabao Cup win over Ipswich Town and a place in the XI for the 1-0 Champions League victory against Napoli. Kai Havertz has otherwise been Mikel Arteta's preferred option through the middle.

Gyokeres wants more minutes

The striker did not hide his desire for a bigger role, even while accepting the depth in Arteta's squad.

"It felt good (to score) and I felt good physically. I felt involved, so it was fun to be out there playing," Gyokeres said. "I haven't played a lot, but I've had a few games. It's felt okay then, but it's clear that I want to play football and as much as possible. Hopefully that will come, too. You always want to be on the field as a football player.

"Of course you expect more playing time, but we have an extremely good squad with a lot of good players and have been doing well here at the start. I'm just trying to focus on what I can control and do my best to play more."

Alvarez, meanwhile, remains at Atletico having faced jeers from sections of the club's support over his conduct during the summer saga.

With the fixture list thickening across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup, Gyokeres will be hoping his international goal is the start of a run of opportunities under Arteta.