Swedish police, who are investigating accusations of a blackmail conspiracy, have linked a gunshot in Stockholm, Viktor Gyokeres’ birthplace, to the centre-forward’s summer move from Sporting CP to Arsenal.
Fans of the Emirates Stadium outfit have been clamouring with club officials for years to go out and recruit a consistent goalscorer, and they were successful this summer in signing Gyokeres, widely regarded as one of the top strikers in the world.
The 26-year-old line-leader made his non-competitive Arsenal debut during their pre-season tour, and he’ll face his former manager, Ruben Amorim, at Old Trafford this weekend.
Gyokeres’ summer move to Arsenal is linked to shooting in Sweden.
Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League in consecutive seasons, finally got their hands on their new striker earlier this summer for an upfront cost of £54.8 million plus £8.6 million in potential add-ons.
However, according to Swedish daily ETC, his long and drawn-out summer transfer is now being investigated as the cause of a recent shooting in the municipality of Huddinge, located in the striker’s homeland’s capital city, Stockholm.
Two shots were fired, but no one was injured, and the incident is now being linked to an extortion conspiracy involving his relocation to England’s top division. The story stated that the target was a football agent’s relative.
Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for his old employers, is managed by Hasan Cetinkaya Management, which also represents Frenkie De Jong and Antonio Rudiger. As a result, they have deducted a portion of his large transfer fee.
The aforementioned agent involved in the deal is thought to have released an update on social media to confirm his role in Gyokeres’ move from Portugal to England, which has resulted in blackmail attempts. According to GOAL, there were also allegations of extortion and broken promises to ensure the centre-forward received his long-awaited move.
The question on everyone’s mind is if Gyokeres is the missing link in Arsenal’s title drought. His alarming goal-scoring rate would suggest that he can assist Arteta and his entourage in reaching the promised land, but it is not so simple.
Although difficult to comprehend, the stats behind Gyokeres’ reputation in the footballing echo chamber – 54 goals in all competitions last season – raise questions about whether they are transferable to a far tougher league, the Premier League. Time will tell if he can succeed under Arteta.
However, his management is very confident in his abilities. “I think everything that he does… his movement, the way he times his runs, the way he predicts the next move, where the space can be and where the ball is going to land, that’s the instinct that he has,” Arteta said, according to TNT Sports. “That’s why he’s scored so many goals in recent seasons; it’s not a coincidence; it’s his talent, and he’s always looking for it.
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