Gyokeres vs Havertz: Sporting goal machine faces SHOCK challenge to become Arsenal's No.9

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 24 Mar 2024 18:15 GMT
• 4 min read

Viktor Gyokeres could face a battle against Kai Havertz if he joins Arsenal this summer.

The Sweden international is being heavily pursued by the Gunners ahead of the upcoming transfer window and Mikel Arteta’s side have made Gyokeres their number one striker target, FootballTransfers understands.

Scouts have been sent to watch him on multiple occasions, although Chelsea are also keeping a keen eye on Gyokeres and the Blues could challenge Arsenal for his signature.

READ MORE: Arsenal get MASSIVE boost in Gyokeres chase

Furthermore, Arsenal fans even recently selected Gyokeres as their dream next striker ahead of Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney and Benjamin Sesko, all of whom have also been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Gyokeres only joined Sporting CP from Coventry City last summer, but he has notched 36 goals and 14 assists in 39 games for his new club and has been one of Europe’s most deadly marksmen during the 2023-24 campaign.

However, despite his goal-scoring prowess, Gyokeres may not automatically become Arsenal’s first-choice number nine if he signs for the Gunners.

That is because Kai Havertz has excelled as a centre forward in recent weeks.

READ MORE: Chelsea flop to Arsenal hero – How Arteta was persuaded to buy Havertz

Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres?

Havertz joined Arsenal for a whopping €75 million from Chelsea in 2023 and the move was seen as a major overpay from the Gunners’ perspective. After all, the Germany international had shown glimpses of his talent at Stamford Bridge, however he was largely inconsistent and was never able to become a reliable goal-scorer.

Upon his arrival in north London, Havertz was mostly deployed in midfield, essentially replacing the departed Granit Xhaka in the starting XI. He was fairly average, for the most part, in this role and Chelsea fans were quick to point out that selling Havertz was a great decision by their club.

However, Havertz was moved into a central striker role in February and he has performed admirably. This position change has also enabled Declan Rice to play more advanced, with Jorginho sitting behind him, and Havertz has thrived.

He has four goals and two assists in the last four Premier League matches, and his form continued for Germany on Saturday. Just like at club level, Havertz was deployed through the middle and he scored the second goal in an impressive 2-0 win over France.

The German international appears to have developed massively since his move to Arsenal and he is now a very good option as a centre forward. Havertz’s hold-up and link play looks refined, while he is crashing the box far more effectively than at Chelsea.

His recent upturn in form certainly raises questions as to what will happen if Gyokeres joins. One of Havertz’s best qualities is his versatility, but he looks at home as a striker.

The ex-Chelsea man does enjoy a purple patch in front of goal, however there is little evidence to suggest Gyokeres would be a vast upgrade for Arsenal. Despite this, the Sporting star is clearly a very talented forward and would be an excellent addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad, especially if Eddie Nketiah leaves as is expected.

Ultimately though, Havertz may be in form, but if Gyokeres arrives for a fee north of €80m it’s safe to assume he will become first-choice and Havertz may have to revert back to a midfield role.