Gary Lineker has Darwin Nunez concern about Arsenal transfer move

As it looks to catch up with Liverpool next season, signing a number nine appears to be a priority for Arsenal. At long last, some might argue, having seen Mikel Arteta's side finish second three seasons on the spin.

While the Gunners will need more than just a better striker to improve their attack to the required level, there is no doubt that a regular goalscorer can only help. And Arsenal is pushing for the signing of wantaway Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, who scored 63 times in all competitions for the Portuguese side in 2024/25.

At 27 years of age, Gyokeres would very much be one for the here and now, expected to hit the ground running. But there is a legitimate question mark surrounding how his rate of scoring would translate across to the Premier League.

The Portuguese top flight is very competitive at the top, but the lower end is of a similar level to the Championship, England's second tier. Gyokeres is clearly a good finisher, but he won't be as prolific in a considerably more competitive league.

And former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has weighed in on Gyokeres, who will cost more than $94 million (£69 million) including add-ons, if he does make the move to North London.

"It’ll be a challenge for him because it is different, obviously," Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.

"We saw Darwin Nunez come in, didn’t we, scoring, not quite to that degree, but not far off in Portugal, then going to Liverpool and obviously, it’s never really happened for him."

A goalscoring sensation in Portugal coming to England was always going to draw comparisons to Liverpool and Nunez, but there are some differences. Gyokeres, for one, has been an absolute machine.

Though Nunez was never scoring in as much volume in Portugal as Gyokeres has — and only had one breakout season before his switch, compared to two years of high-level evidence for the Swede — he was also much younger.

Nunez arrived at Anfield at the age of 22. At the same point in his career, Gyokeres was being loaned to St Pauli and then Swansea City, at that time belonging to Brighton.

There is a level of risk attached to signing Gyokeres, especially for a premium price. But at the same time, Arsenal has been crying out for a better finisher in the final third, and the evidence is there that he could be that.

It remains to be seen if Arsenal can get a deal over the line for Gyokeres. If it does, Liverpool should still be confident in having a more rounded attack — but there will have been an improvement.

Not least in a summer market lacking clear-cut quality strikers, Gyokeres could be a good option. Nunez comparisons, though, are probably inevitable.

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