Mikel Arteta coy on Gyokeres, but says ‘a lot of time left' for transfers
'He's not part of our group yet,' Arteta told reporters in Singapore of Sporting Lisbon's Swedish striker ahead of pre-season friendlies against AC Milan and Newcastle United this week.
'And I don't have anything concrete to offer to any player who is not part of the group yet,' he added.
English Premier League Arsenal have so far signed Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea, Christian Norgaard from Brentford, Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and, most recently, Noni Madueke from Chelsea.
Arteta is still looking to beef up his attacking options, with Arsenal reportedly offering a deal worth £70 million ($94 million) for the prolific Gyokeres, who scored 54 goals in 52 games in Portugal last season.
'There's still a lot of time in the transfer window, and we are still seeking the numbers,' said Arteta
'We are short, and we have to improve the depth and quality of the squad.
'But for now, I'm focusing on the players we already have, and I'm very pleased with what I've seen so far.'
Arteta is acutely aware that Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004 and that his squad need to go one better after finishing second in each of the past three seasons.
'I don't have to convince (the players) about winning the Premier League. I know how good they are, and we all want to take the next step,' said Arteta.
'Our job is to put ourselves in the best competitive position to achieve our goal. That's our individual responsibility,' he added.
The North London side will play AC Milan in Singapore on Wednesday, followed by a clash with fellow Premier League side Newcastle on Sunday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Odegaard shines as Arsenal beat Newcastle
Martin Odegaard scored the winner from the spot in the 84th minute as Arsenal beat Newcastle 3-2 in a pre-season friendly in Singapore on Sunday. Viktor Gyokeres, the Swedish international striker signed on Saturday from Sporting Lisbon, was introduced to the crowd of more than 38,700 before watched from the bench as his new club won an entertaining encounter in the Singapore heat. The 27-year-old could make his debut when Arsenal take on Tottenham in Hong Kong next Thursday in another friendly. "We are increasing the quality of the squad all the time, so we're super happy to have Viktor with us," said manager Mikel Arteta. "It has been a long journey to get him here." Newcastle, who were missing striker Alexander Isak as he considers his future, scored with their first attack in the sixth minute. New signing Anthony Elanga blasted the ball into the bottom corner after meeting a cross from Sandro Tonali. But Arsenal overcame a shaky start, regaining their rhythm and control of the game. Mikel Merino levelled in the 33rd minute from Kai Havertz's flick. Arsenal were ahead two minutes later when defender Alex Murphy fumbled the ball into his own net. The Magpies almost conceded a third after the restart but had keeper Nick Pope to thank after he stopped a bicycle kick by Bukayo Saka. Against the run of play, substitute Jacob Murphy levelled for Newcastle a minute later after his shot from outside the box sneaked past David Raya. With the match seemingly headed for a draw, it was 15-year-old Max Dowman's deep run into the box, where he was clipped by Joelinton, that proved to be the game-changer. Odegaard made no mistake from the spot to give Arsenal their second win in Singapore following a 1-0 victory over AC Milan. "Playing against Newcastle today wasn't just a friendly. It was a real test," said Arteta.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Man Utd sink West Ham in EPL US friendly
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts during the Premier League Summer Series match against West Ham United FC at MetLife Stadium on July 26. PHOTO: AFP Bruno Fernandes scored twice as Manchester United kicked off their tour of the United States with a 2-1 win over West Ham in the Premier League Summer Series tournament in New Jersey on Saturday. United skipper Fernandes punished two blunders by West Ham's France international goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to seal victory for Ruben Amorim's side in sweltering conditions at the MetLife Stadium. Areola was at fault for both of United's goals and although Jarrod Bowen pulled a goal back for the Hammers, the London club never seriously troubled the 13-time Premier League champions. Fernandes opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the fifth minute, calmly sending Areola the wrong way after the Frenchman had needlessly shoved Ayden Heaven to the ground after losing possession. Fernandes doubled United's lead in the 52nd minute with a clever finish after another howler from Areola, whose sloppy pass out from the back went straight to United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo on the edge of the area. Mainoo slipped a pass to Fernandes, who then coolly lifted a finish over the stranded Areola to put United in control. Bowen's clever finish in the 63rd minute reduced the deficit, and the England forward forced a good save from Altay Bayindir in injury time, but United held on. "It's good to win, even being a friendly -- we want to get every game to prepare ourselves in the best way and obviously go into the season in a positive way," Fernandes told NBC Sports after the victory. "Overall the game was good, we were very good on the ball. In some moments we could have done longer possessions and we rushed it a little bit. We have to work on that... but I think overall it was a very good game for us." United's new $87 million signing Bryan Mbeumo travelled with the team to the United States but did not feature in the matchday squad. Mbeumo could make his debut when United face Bournemouth in the second round of fixtures in the four-team tournament in Chicago on Wednesday. Bournemouth, meanwhile, cruised to a 3-0 victory over Everton in their opener earlier on Saturday at the same venue. Goals from Philip Billing, Dango Outtara and Daniel Adu-Adjei sealed a comfortable win for Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth side After a low-key first half, Billing fired Bournemouth into the lead in the 55th minute, gliding away from his marker at the edge of the area before unleashing a ferocious shot that flew past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. England international Pickford was beaten again four minutes later after a move that began when Outtara surged clear down the left flank. Everton defender Nathan Patterson looked to have covered the danger, but a poor touch allowed Burkina Faso international Outtara to hammer a shot high into the net past Pickford's near post. Adu-Adjei made it 3-0 to the Cherries in the 69th minute, pouncing on an underhit backpass from Jake O'Brien to coolly finish past Pickford. Amorim hails Fernandes Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim heaped praise on Fernandes, "I think now he has more players, I feel, to help him to lead the group, and that is a good thing. He is our leader and really important, not just on the field but off the field. He leads by example. "Sometimes, the problem is he gets frustrated and loses a little bit of focus of his job. Sometimes, he wants to help the teammates so much, it is not the best thing to do. They have to do their job, and Bruno has, for example, to wait for the ball." United have signed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo so far in the transfer window, with Amorim saying the signings would take some of the pressure off Fernandes in attack."
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Manchester City to re-sign goalkeeper James Trafford in £27m deal
Manchester City are set to re-sign goalkeeper James Trafford from Burnley in a deal worth £27 million, just two years after the 22-year-old left the Etihad Stadium to join the Clarets. Trafford, a product of City's youth academy, joined Burnley in July 2023 in a transfer that included performance-based add-ons and was valued at up to £19 million. His standout performances last season were instrumental in Burnley's promotion to the Premier League under Scott Parker. He recorded 29 clean sheets in 45 Championship appearances and was named in the division's Team of the Year. Although City included a buy-back clause in the original agreement, the club did not activate it directly. Instead, they exercised matching rights after Newcastle United submitted a £27 million bid for the England youth international, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. 🚨 Manchester City to sign James Trafford from Burnley. Sold at £14m & purchasing for £27m so buy-back cost ~£13m. Activated matching rights on #NUFC offer & 22yo picked #MCFC - 5+1yr contract. Ederson staying, Ortega to go but nothing close @TheAthleticFC — David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 25, 2025 He will become the fourth senior goalkeeper in Pep Guardiola's squad, joining Ederson, Stefan Ortega and Marcus Bettinelli. Trafford is expected to compete with Ederson, who has served as City's first-choice goalkeeper for eight years. Ederson is in the final 12 months of his contract and has recently been linked with Turkish side Galatasaray, though no formal offers have been received. Meanwhile, Ortega's future at the club remains uncertain. Trafford joined City's youth ranks in 2015 but never made a senior appearance for the club. He had loan spells with Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers before establishing himself at Burnley. The goalkeeper is expected to sign a five-year contract with City, with an option to extend by a further year.
