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Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has called Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres the best signing of the Premier League this season.
Gyokeres has received criticism this season, but he would not be listening to any of it these days with the big Premier League trophy blocking most of it out.
Fair enough to him. He provided goals in important moments this season, and was easily a net-positive and he filled a profile and position Arsenal desperately needed to fill up.
As much criticism as the Swedish striker has received, he has still scored 21 goals in all competitions. It may not be the 54 he scored last season for Sporting, but it is still a good amount, and he definitely improved in the second half of the season.
Even Arsenal fans might not agree with Wayne Rooney's Viktor Gyokeres take
Rooney was very much pro-Gyokeres with his statements, and called him the best signing of the Premier League season.
He said: “I think Viktor Gyökeres has been the best [signing of any club]. Granit Xhaka has been brilliant for Sunderland, but look at what Gyökeres has brought to Arsenal; it’s exactly what they’ve needed.
“Finishing second over the last three years, I think he’s given Arsenal something a bit different, and that’s been a big factor in them winning the Premier League.”
It is objectively true that Gyokeres was a much better signing than many are claiming to be, and he has helped Arsenal in a lot more ways than people are willing to admit. 21 goals in all competitions (14 in the league) is a good amount, but calling him the best signing of the season might be debatable.
Gyokeres will succeed at Arsenal, I'm sure, but it is difficult to think of him as the best signing with the amount of criticism he received from pundits, Arsenal fans and rival fans week in, week out. He has improved, that is for sure, but has he improved enough to be named the best signing?
He has five go-ahead goals this season, which is a really good amount, but there have also been times where Arsenal have needed goals and Gyokeres was not able to provide any. There have been times where he has almost looked invisible on the pitch.
I'm not trying to discredit Gyokeres' work this season. It is a signing that Arsenal needed, and some of his goals were absolutely crucial. He will improve loads next season too, as he gets more game-time with his teammates.
There just have been other players who have been more consistent and important to their respective teams, so it makes little sense to include Gyokeres in this conversation - especially when he has had multiple games where he could have done more than he did.
Granit Xhaka has been immense for Sunderland this season, and you can say the same for Senne Lammens at Manchester United.
He has been a good signing - definitely not a failure like many rival fans tried to name him all season long - but he may have competition for the 'signing of the season' title.
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