Arteta's Betting Season

Arteta - Ảnh 1. — Gyokeres promises to change Arsenal's attack - Photo: Reuters

Although not a very large number, it is a transfer deal that can decide the future of Arsenal, as well as coach Mikel Arteta.

Why are Gyokeres ignored?

A few days ago, Liverpool activated a "blockbuster" named Hugo Ekitike, with a total transfer fee of up to 90 million euros. If put on the scale, Ekitike cannot be compared to Gyokeres in terms of class.

The Frenchman's career total (50 goals) is not even as much as Gyokeres's last season (54 goals). But Liverpool actively chose the Frenchman and completely ignored Gyokeres' presence in the transfer market.

Why? Partly because of age. Ekitike is only 23 years old - the age when he is in his prime and is particularly adaptable. Liverpool's statistics show that they almost always buy stars from other leagues at this age. They were Darwin Nunez, Gakpo, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Konate... in previous seasons. And this season, Wirtz, Frimpong, Mamardashvili.

Over the past five years, this policy has been very successful, with most of Liverpool's new recruits performing well after a few months of integration. Some individuals like Nunez may not have lived up to expectations, but overall they have contributed a lot to the stability of the team.

Another example is Thiago Alcantara. In 2020, the Spanish midfielder was signed by Liverpool, aged 29 and having never played in the Premier League. As a result, Thiago never adapted to English football. After four years, he left with just 98 appearances for the Anfield team, half of which were as a substitute.

Liverpool have clearly learned a big lesson from this deal. If they have to buy players older than the U23 age group, they will choose those who are familiar with English football such as Mac Allister (previously playing for Brighton). And with Gyokeres - who has experienced a disastrous period in English football (Brighton sent him out on loan for 4 years), Liverpool do not want to take any risks.

Arteta - Ảnh 2. — A series of empty-handed days has gradually shaken coach Arteta's confidence - Photo: REUTERS

Coach Arteta accepts change

Liverpool's attitude also explains the indifference of Chelsea and Newcastle - giants who, despite having tickets to the Champions League next season, still do not care about Gyokeres. The Swedish striker has scored 98 goals in the past 2 years, the highest efficiency in the world .

But he is 27 years old - an age when there is no more time to adapt. For that reason, even though Gyokeres' price is not too expensive, and he himself has broken up with his home team Sporting CP, most of the big clubs still ignore Gyokeres.

The results showed that Liverpool would rather spend 90 million euros on a young player like Ekitike. Meanwhile, Chelsea spent a similar amount to bring in two strikers who played in the Premier League last season, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. In the end, Arsenal "went it alone" in the deal to buy Gyokeres, helping them close the deal at a not-too-high fee.

But is that a step forward for the Gunners? Not really. Gyokeres' playing style is considered not to fit Arteta's philosophy. The Spanish tactician has long shown his preference for "number 9" types who can hold the ball and move widely like Havertz and Gabriel Jesus rather than a pure striker.

But the series of empty-handed days has gradually shaken coach Arteta's confidence. Arsenal in his hands is still strong, still stable, but lacks the necessary sharpness to neatly deal with average and weak opponents in the Premier League. The result is that for 3 consecutive years, Arsenal finished second in disappointment to Man City and Liverpool. They hardly have a "killer" who knows how to score 20 goals/season.

For that reason, Arteta was forced to choose a player who did not fit his philosophy and also posed too many risks. It was truly a gamble, a gamble of thirst for titles.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mua-giai-danh-cuoc-cua-ong-arteta-20250724110908385.htm