Victor Gokeres has not scored in nine games for club and country, but Arsenal team-mate Mikel Merino is not worried about what is happening with his £64m signing fee.
Mikel Merino claims Victor Gokeres has already adapted to English football and his “incredible” work rate proves it. Gunners striker Gokeres has scored just three goals since joining for £64 million in the summer and it has already been 533 minutes since his last goal for Arsenal.
Gokeres has attracted attention due to his high price tag and the fact that Arsenal have been looking for a new centre-forward for a long time, and the pressure will be on him to make that happen starting with Tuesday’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid.
But Merino insists his teammates already value what he does for the team and it would be unfair to judge him solely on goals, as his all-round play has brought a new dimension to Arsenal.
Arsenal midfielder Merino said: “To be honest, I don’t think it will take him long to adapt. I think he’s a really good player. He gives us so many options on and off the ball.”
“You have to look at the data to see how hard he works in every game. It’s unbelievable how much he helps the team on and off the ball.
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“Sometimes it’s unfair to the striker because if he doesn’t score goals it looks like he’s not doing anything. But he offers us a lot and I’m sure the goals will come.”
“I think he wants to score as much as the other players, but the most important thing is to help the team win. We are a team, we are a collective, so I’m sure he’s happy that he’s delivering the best performance for his teammates on and off the ball.”
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta was keen to sign the 20-goal striker after injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus derailed last season’s title challenge. But Merino insists Sweden international Gokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 games for former club Sporting Lisbon, will be versatile in English football.
Gokeres scored six goals in last season’s Champions League alone, including a hat-trick against Manchester City, and his numbers and achievements helped convince Arsenal to switch from Portuguese football to the Premier League.
Will Victor Gokeres be successful at Arsenal? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
Gokeres looked to be struggling for confidence when he drew another blank against Fulham on Saturday, but it was clear how much his team-mates were trying to help and score again. “He definitely has quality,” Merino said.
“He has the tools, he has the physicality, he has players around him who can inspire him to score, and it’s only a matter of time before he scores, that’s for sure.”
“You can’t just look at the numbers. I know numbers are very important in modern football these days, but when you watch the games you’ll see how much he gives us.”
“He looks pretty confident. I think he’s a really confident guy. You can tell by training every day that he’s doing the right things. As long as he keeps working, he’ll continue to give us the best performance…I think he knows what he’s capable of.”
“He scored goals. I don’t know how many goals he scored last season, but it’s something you won’t forget by the day. He’ll be there and we all have faith in him. We all know he’s a top-class player and I think that’s it.”
“For Victor, we try to show him love and support him. But that’s just the main mindset we have as a team. Everyone needs that love, everyone needs to feel comfortable and feel surrounded by nice people and a team they can trust.”
“So Victor is just one example[of that]but I think everyone wants him to keep doing what he’s doing. Of course, if he scores, it’s even better for everyone and for him. But the important thing, as I said before, is that the team wins. As long as the team is winning, he and everyone will be happy.”
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