Micah Richards warns Arsenal may sell Gyokeres in January after one goal in 11 games

Viktor Gyokeres is facing a potential Arsenal exit just 18 months after joining from Sporting Lisbon for £64 million, with former Manchester City defender Micah Richards warning that the club may need to sell the Sweden international in January if his form does not improve.

Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Richards was blunt in his assessment of the 26-year-old’s struggles. “When he first arrived at Arsenal, I was saying to the Arsenal fans, ‘Don’t expect him to be scoring 25 and 30 goals’,” he said. “What I really liked about him, he was good at running in behind, but he stopped doing the things that he’s really good at. He sort of looks like he has no confidence. He’s had enough game time to show what he can do now at Arsenal and it’s just not happening for him.”

Gyokeres managed 21 goals in his debut season, a respectable return, but his overall contribution has drawn criticism for failing to consistently influence matches. This season he has scored just once in 11 outings, and the most telling sign of his standing came when Mikel Arteta left him on the bench for the Champions League final, opting instead for Kai Havertz — who remains the manager’s first-choice centre-forward.

Richards acknowledged that Arsenal’s attacking depth remains a concern, particularly after their Champions League exit to PSG last May exposed a gap in quality compared to Europe’s elite. He believes reinforcements are necessary if the Gunners are to close that gap — and that Gyokeres could be the one to make way.

“I think if they want to compete and then, say, dominate, then 100 per cent, I think they need more firepower in that forward area, for sure,” Richards said. “There are so many times where Gyokeres gets in really good positions and he just doesn’t put the ball away. So then it becomes a problem. He needs one of those opportunities where he plays 90 minutes, he scores, he builds confidence, and it goes from there. Otherwise, they’re going to have to look to move him on.”

Arsenal beat out a host of Europe’s top clubs to sign Gyokeres from Sporting in the summer of 2024, but the striker has yet to fully justify that outlay. With the January transfer window approaching, his future at the Emirates is now under genuine scrutiny.