Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has warned Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres that he faces a battle to maintain his form now he has moved to the Premier League.
Gyökeres was prolific under Amorim at Sporting CP, netting 66 goals in 68 games under the boss before his departure to United midway through last season. That form convinced Arsenal to spend €73.5 million (£63.4 million, $86 million) to bring Gyökeres to the Emirates Stadium this summer.
Fittingly, Gyökeres’s competitive debut for Arsenal will come against Amorim’s United on Sunday. Ahead of the game, the Red Devils boss was full of praise for the Sweden international but warned Gyökeres of the challenges of the Premier League.
“Viktor is in a different league,” Amorim acknowledged. “Sporting have good scouting because they live from the players they can buy and sell to survive.
“I think he’s a very good player. It’s not a surprise to see him with a big club in England.”
Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta had no concerns over Gyökeres’s suitability to the Premier League, insisting the Gunners are the perfect side to help maximise his talents.
"I think that Arsenal is the perfect stage for him to show what he can do for the team and the incredible teammates around him to make sure that he fulfils that," Arteta said.
Sunday’s game could see Gyökeres line up opposite Benjamin Šeško. The Slovenia striker was a target for Arsenal earlier this summer before the Gunners pivoted to Gyökeres, allowing United to swoop in and strike a deal.
Šeško’s agent recently opened up on his negotiations with Arsenal, arguing the striker always wanted to join United, while Arteta insisted the Gunners made the conscious decision to pivot away from Šeško and focus on Gyökeres.
"We've done the process like we always do,” Arteta explained.
"To analyse every single option, it's not only about what we like about the player, it's many aspects that have to, at the end, come together and we're extremely happy that it's Victor."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Different League’—Ruben Amorim Sends Viktor Gyokeres Warning Ahead of Premier League Reunion.
