{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreiebrce37popm2r3ov4p4zhtydwnduczkcxmdzx4qhbfd3pravdy6i",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:b7afdzqsmwksxypciqnplglk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfat2b5k7tf2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreibxplo22ae4gp2dghjxk7lkxphvvg3ilffbvnjbus4upbq2jcxgf4"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 47442
  },
  "path": "/2026/02/19/arsenal-told-should-signed-60m-chelsea-star-instead-viktor-gyokeres-26995726/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-19T22:15:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Arsenal transfer news",
    "Chelsea FC",
    "Chelsea transfer news",
    "Joao Pedro",
    "Liam Rosenior",
    "Mikel Arteta",
    "Premier League",
    "Transfer News and Rumours",
    "Viktor Gyokeres",
    "£64m summer move from Sporting",
    "Hugo Ekitike",
    "£60m move to Chelsea last summer",
    "joining Liverpool for a little under £80m",
    "Sign up here",
    "Sky Bet",
    "going through a difficult spell",
    "supports HTML5 video",
    "dismal 2-2 draw with bottom-placed Wolves on Wednesday night",
    "check our sport page",
    "Facebook",
    "Twitter",
    "Instagram",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "Arsenal summer signing Viktor Gyokeres (Picture: Getty)\n\nJoleon Lescott has named two Premier League strikers Arsenal ‘should have signed’ instead of Viktor Gyokeres.\n\nGyokeres has endured an underwhelming first season at the Emirates Stadium following his £64m summer move from Sporting.\n\nThe 27-year-old scored almost a goal a game in Portugal but has been nowhere near as prolific in the Premier League, netting eight in 25 games.\n\nGyokeres has improved since the turn of the New Year but Arsenal fans still expected more from a player who was seen as the final piece of the jigsaw in Mikel Arteta’s squad.\n\nSweden international Gyokeres has even dropped out of the team in some games and Lescott believes this is all the evidence needed to show his signing was a mistake.\n\nArsenal did need a new No.9 last summer but Lescott believes they should have signed Joao Pedro or Hugo Ekitike instead of Gyokeres.\n\nPedro has scored 13 goals since his £60m move to Chelsea last summer, while Ekitike has 15 goals in all competitions since joining Liverpool for a little under £80m.\n\n##  Get your football fix\n\nDon't want to miss the week's biggest football stories? **Metro's** exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.\n\nFrom the latest transfer rumours and managerial moves to analysis of the biggest games and a lot more, our experts have you covered.\n\nSign up here, it's an open goal.\n\nFormer England defender Joleon Lescott (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘I thought Viktor Gyokeres was brought in to start for Arsenal,’ former England, Manchester City, Wolves and Everton defender Lescott told Sky Bet.\n\n‘You’re not spending that amount of money, having identified that position, for him not to play. Surely, he’s been brought in to play in all the big games.\n\n‘They brought in Gyokeres because they thought he was the best of the available strikers.\n\nChelsea signed Joao Pedro from Brighton (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘It’s easy to say now that Arsenal should have gone for Hugo Ekitike. Joao Pedro is another striker I don’t know why Arsenal didn’t buy.’\n\nGyokeres is not the only Arsenal summer signing to have underwhelmed, with Eberechi Eze also going through a difficult spell following his £60m move from Crystal Palace.\n\nAsked about Eze’s start at Arsenal, Lescott added: ‘He’s found his position at Arsenal, but he hasn’t found the rhythm yet.\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\n‘His struggles are just down to current form – we can get carried away and think, “It’s never going to work”. Having gone there and now needing to perform is slightly different when you’ve previously been given the freedom to make mistakes.\n\n‘He knows that when you’re playing for a top team, where competition is so strong, you can’t come in and not perform. You have to – otherwise you’re coming off.’\n\nArsenal threw away a two-goal lead to drop more points in the title race in a dismal 2-2 draw with bottom-placed Wolves on Wednesday night.\n\nArteta’s side were in complete control through Bukayo Saka’s early header and Piero Hincapie’s goal after half-time but conceded twice – including an injury-time equaliser from Wolves – to drop two points.\n\nGyokeres started at Molineux but was subbed off shortly after Wolves’ opener after failing to make an impact. Eze came on for the final half an hour but also struggled.\n\nArsenal, sitting five points clear of Manchester City having played one game more, face north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.\n\nThe Gunners’ lead by the time they face Spurs could be just two points as Man City play the previous day, facing Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium.\n\n**For more stories like this,check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook, **Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments  Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source ",
  "title": "Arsenal told they ‘should have signed’ £60m Chelsea star instead of Viktor Gyokeres"
}