“That’s nonsense” - Fulham boss Marco Silva dismisses story about Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres as he reveals transfer talks

Fulham manager Marco Silva has revealed that his team were interested in a move for Viktor Gyokeres long before the striker signed for Arsenal. The Sweden international became well known after his performances at Sporting, earning him a blockbuster move to the Emirates this summer.

However, Silva has said that many clubs noticed Gyokeres a year before he joined Sporting in 2023. Between 2021 and 2023, the 27-year-old plied his trade for Coventry after joining from Brighton.

Speaking about how the Portuguese tactician wished to sign Gyokeres while the player was at Coventry, he told Portuguese outlet A Bola (via Mirror):

“That story that nobody had noticed Gyokeres, that’s nonsense. The top clubs in England hadn’t noticed him, that’s obvious. It’s not easy for a player to go from Coventry to a top club in England, and at that time, he wasn’t ready for that move."

“Now, as for mid-table clubs in England, all of them had noticed him. There were some offers to buy Gyokeres, at least during those two years when he stood out a bit more."

He added:

“I actually spoke with Gyokeres’ agent, or rather the club spoke with his agent, but at the time we also had a world-class striker in [Aleksandar] Mitrovic and he wasn’t so easy to replace. But of course we noticed him, not just because of the goals he scored, but it was clear that with space... he was a player with tremendous power, there’s no doubt.”

Gyokeres will now be expected to lead the line for Arsenal, a job that Kai Havertz was entrusted with in the 2024/25 season.

William Saliba hopeful that Viktor Gyokeres will help Arsenal win trophies

Despite strong performances in the past few years, Arsenal have failed to win the UEFA Champions League or the Premier League since Mikel Arteta's arrival in 2019.

However, central defender William Saliba is hopeful that this will change following the arrival of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting. Speaking about the striker, Saliba said (via ESPN):

"We know how good he is, it's scary to play against him. Of course, I'm so happy to have him in my club and I'm sure that he will help us to win games and win trophies."

Last season, Gyokeres made 52 appearances across competitions for Sporting, bagging 54 goals and 13 assists. He's now signed a deal with Arsenal till the summer of 2030.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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Edited by Rahul Naresh