Morgan: Arsenal Did Consider Using Gyokeres in a Deal for 'Spider', Leaving Gyokeres Furious

On September 8 Beijing time, on the programme "Sports Uncensored", well-known British TV host Piers Morgan revealed that Viktor Gyokeres believed he had been "disrespected" at Arsenal, and that he had even been informed by the club during this summer's transfer window that he could leave.

The Sweden international striker joined Arsenal in the summer of 2025 for a transfer fee of up to £64 million. In Sunday's comeback victory over Chelsea, he made his new-season debut as a substitute. In Arsenal's previous two matches, Gyokeres did not receive even a minute of playing time. Morgan said the club's decision was aimed at moving him out of the squad, claiming they had "deliberately kept him on the bench".

During this summer's transfer window, Arsenal showed strong interest in signing Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, and reports suggested that a player-swap proposal involving Gyokeres had also been considered by Arsenal's senior officials. Morgan said he had "learned from reliable sources" that Arsenal had indeed considered allowing Gyokeres to leave in order to reach an agreement with Atletico Madrid over Alvarez's arrival.

However, Alvarez himself was reportedly doubtful about returning to the Premier League and was keen on joining Atletico's La Liga rivals Barcelona, while Atletico Madrid also directly rejected the transfer deal. In the end, the Argentina World Cup winner chose to remain at Atletico Madrid, while Gyokeres stayed at the Emirates Stadium. His future remains uncertain, and his playing time in the new season could be significantly affected.

Piers Morgan said on "Sports Uncensored": "Since the start of the new season, Gyokeres has hardly played. I learned from an extremely reliable internal source that the club deliberately kept him on the bench."

"Arsenal originally planned to use him in an exchange for Julian Alvarez, but the deal ultimately failed to be completed. The information I received showed that Gyokeres was extremely unhappy with the treatment he received and felt he had been disrespected."

"In my view, this is difficult to deny, but it also demonstrates manager Arteta's decisive and tough coaching style, and many Arsenal fans are actually pleased to see the manager show this kind of authority."

"I have heard that Arsenal are fully prepared and plan to return to the transfer market in January to sign a new striker. When the January window opens, they will look again for and sign a forward."

In addition, Piers Morgan said he was present when Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy in May this year, and revealed that the Gunners had previously "believed" they were close to signing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. Arteta was originally very interested in the major deal, but Vinicius ultimately chose to renew his contract with Real Madrid.

Piers Morgan added: "The information I received was that Arsenal at one point believed they had successfully signed Vinicius. If he had joined successfully, he could have brought huge help to the team."

"What I know for certain is that Arsenal still believed they had secured him until the day before he signed his new contract with Real Madrid."

Last Sunday, Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season.