“Gonna put it out there” - Former Manchester United defender claims Red Devils star will outscore Arsenal signing Viktor Gyökeres this season

Former Manchester United defender Demetri Mitchell has claimed that Rasmus Hojlund will have a better season than Arsenal’s new signing Viktor Gyökeres. Gyökeres returned to the Premier League by opting to join the Gunners over reuniting with former manager Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.

Arsenal and Manchester United were actively involved in the market for a new striker, and they both had Gyökeres on their radar. The Swede, however, chose the north London club, forcing United to shift their focus to other alternatives.

Mikel Arteta’s men locked horns with north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, July 31, in Hong Kong, China, and it was Spurs who emerged victorious in the pre-season clash. Gyökeres made his debut as a substitute, replacing Kai Havertz in the second half. However, the former Sporting CP forward struggled to impress in the 14 minutes he spent on the pitch.

After the match, Demetri Mitchell made a gloomy prediction regarding the forward’s maiden campaign at the Emirates Stadium. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

“Gonna put it out there Hojlund will have a better season than Gyokeres.”

Mitchell wasn’t done yet as he quoted the above-mentioned tweet, writing:

“He has to get off to a good start if he don’t score for a few he’s done for.”

Viktor Gyökeres and Rasmus Hojlund have been on different sides of the spectrum in terms of goalscoring in recent seasons. Gyökeres scored the most goals in Europe last season with 54 goals in 52 appearances across competitions. Hojlund, on the other hand, scored just 10 goals in the same number of appearances. Given Gyökeres’ numbers in recent seasons, the expectations for him at Arsenal will undoubtedly be high. And it remains to be see whether he can fulfill it.

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“He ain’t getting those chances in the Premier League” – Rio Ferdinand never wanted Manchester United to sign Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres

Before Gyökeres snubbed Manchester United for a move to Arsenal, Rio Ferdinand expressed doubts about the 27-year-old finding his footing at Old Trafford. He said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast (via United in Focus):

“I don’t think he’s the guy for Manchester United. I’ve watched him loads, I’ve watched him maybe three times really, really closely, and three times I’ve gone [shakes his head]. “He ain’t getting those opportunities in the Premier League. When I see him physically matched, I don’t see what else is there? That’s the question I am asking, is there enough after he’s physically matched to be able to get him a goal?”

Gyökeres was initially a Premier League player after he joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018. However, he didn’t feature in a top-flight league game before eventually leaving the club in 2021.

Edited by Nived Zenith