Elite £87m striker enticed by two destinations as Arsenal, Chelsea get their answer on PL ascent

Transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that Viktor Gyokeres does not see a return to the Premier League as his next move, hurting the chances of Arsenal and Chelsea.

Gyokeres has never played in the Premier League despite starting his English league career with Brighton. He moved to the south coast from Brommapojkarna in 2018, and made waves in Premier League 2.

Indeed, Gyokeres scored 12 goals in 26 games in the league, as well as two in two in the playoff portion.

After a couple of loans away from Brighton – one within the English Football League and one outside of it – he made the move to Coventry, where he really made a name for himself.

The Swede bagged 43 goals and 17 assists in 116 games for the Championship outfit, and after their playoff heartbreak last season, he got a big move to Sporting CP.

Gyokeres is flying in Portugal, having scored 10 league goals alongside five assists, as well as notching three times in the Europa League, with one assist in that competition.

And after just a few months away from England, he’s being linked with a return, and a chance to finally play in the Premier League.

Chelsea have reportedly told Sporting they want the striker and his teammate Ousmane Diomande.

Gyokeres might decline Premier League move

The Blues would have to pay £156million for the pair. Arsenal are also in the mix for the striker, and are said to be ready to get rid of Eddie Nketiah to make space for Gyokeres.

But while he could reach a level he’s never played at before, despite having been owned by a Premier League side, he might turn down the offer.

Transfer insider Jones feels he may think the best place for him is on the European continent after his electric start in Portugal, and as such he may decide not to come back to England just yet.

“It’s been a brilliant season so far for Gyokeres, so it’s no great surprise that he would be linked with big teams in the Premier League at this point,” Jones told GIVEMESPORT.

“The main issue I hear around this is that I’m not totally sure he sees that as his next move, even if it did become more realistic.

“I’m told that if he were to move, he might prefer to stay on the continent and look for a style that totally suits him and a club that is another step up from where he is now.”

Two leagues more enticing than Prem

The scrutiny that would come with a move to Arsenal or Chelsea may be too much for a player who’s never played in the Premier League, and therefore Gyokeres might decide to move to one of two different top-five European leagues.

“The pressure and expectation is huge if you go and join Arsenal or Chelsea now, and if you don’t start well you’re written off so quickly,” Jones added.

“Now that Gyokeres has stepped away from English football and is thriving, I wonder if he thinks about staying away for a while and, to be honest, I can imagine him moving to Bundesliga or Serie A next.”

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