Viktor Gyökeres came into Arsenal as the highest goal scorer in the Portuguese league. He scored goals for Sporting Lisbon in the league and in the Champions League. However, at Arsenal, he has been a shadow of himself.
He has failed to hit double-digit goals for Arsenal in the league. In fact, several players have had more goals than him in the Arsenal team. Recently, there have been reports about Arsenal preparing to sell him in the January 2026 winter window.
In this post, you’ll be reading why Arsenal should not sell Viktor Gyökeres in the January 2026 transfer window despite his poor form. You’ll see how this season compares to last season and why Arsenal should not be hasty in selling him.
Why Arsenal Should Not Sell Viktor Gyökeres in the January 2026 Transfer Window
These are reasons why Arsenal should not sell Viktor Gyökeres in the January winter transfer window:
1. It Is Too Early To Sell
One of the reasons why Arsenal should not sell Gyökeres is due to the fact that selling him would be a very hasty decision. Victor Gyökeres joined Arsenal in the summer window in July 2025 and missed the preseason friendly game that Arsenal played.
So, adding this to the injury he got in October could be one of the reasons why he has struggled to blend into the Arsenal team this season.
Victor Gyökeres is not the first player to have struggled in their first season at Arsenal. There are so many examples of strikers who struggled at Arsenal in their first season but flourished with time.
For example, Thierry Henry, who is taken as an Arsenal legend today, also had a difficult first season at Arsenal. In his first season, he scored 17 goals in his debut 1999-2000 season before he started to score more in his second and third seasons.
So, Viktor Gyökeres’ situation may just be like that at Arsenal. Even with that, there has been glimpse of potential in his game despite the struggles. For instance, in matches like the 3-0 Champions League win over Club Brugge in December, he showed glimpses of his quality with a goal and assist.
So, selling him now could mean that Arsenal are ignoring the potential that Gyökeres is likely to show in his second and third seasons at the club. In addition to that, with the festive fixtures in full swing, we could see Gyökeres even hitting double figures when the season ends.
2. His Records Speak For Himself
If not for anything, Arsenal should not sell Viktor Gyökeres having in mind his amazing records for Sporting Lisbon. His records speak for themselves at the previous club he was in.
At Sporting Lisbon, Viktor Gyökeres scored 43 goals in 50 games. This goal-scoring record earned him the Primeira Liga Player of the Season award, attracting interest from top clubs. In addition to that, Sweden was also a beneficiary of his goal-scoring prowess.
He scored 12 goals in 20 caps, including one hat trick, during a Nations League game. Even though the goals are not coming in as usual for Gyökeres at Arsenal this season, he has also strengthened other aspects of his game.
For instance, he has had a dribbling success of 6.8 per game and made at least 0.8 key passes per game. In fact, according to several statistics, he ranks among the top 20% for pressures per 90 minutes among Premier League forwards.
So this doesn’t make Gyökeres a total write off for Arsenal, it only shows that with time he could become a danger in the box as he was with Sporting Lisbon. Once he gets his goal scoring instinct back at work, he could become one of Arsenal’s all-time strikers.
3. It Could Be A Financial Mistake
If Arsenal offloads Gyökeres forcefully by January, it could lead to several financial implications. In the transfer of Gyökeres, Arsenal invested about £55 million.
Now, selling him could at most generate about £40 million. So, this could result in a £10 million loss for Arsenal after six months. For a big club like Arsenal, this is a business decision that they would not want to make.
READ THIS: These Are the Top Players That Could Leave Their Clubs in the January Transfer Window
In recent times, January transfers have shown to be not for sale for big clubs. Instead, they are a time to reinforce the team even more. So, if Arsenal can retain their Gyökeres until the end of the season, it could even boost the squad the more.
4. Lack of Replacements in the Market
The January transfer window is one of the most difficult windows to find quality replacements, especially for the striker position. Even more, a striker of Gyökeres’ caliber could be sold for an inflated price (£80-90 million).
READ THIS: These Are the Top Players That Could Leave Their Clubs in the January Transfer Window
So, the best at this time for Arsenal and Viktor Gyökeres is for the player you stay. If possible, he could stay after this season and beyond. Viktor Gyökeres could prove himself to become the man that was one of the most wanted strikers in Europe.
In the long run, if he is then sold off, he could be sold for maybe a higher amount than he was bought for. This has led to profit for Arsenal in the transfer window.
5. Arteta’s Backing
Mikel Arteta has shown support for Victor Gyökeres several times when pressed about the striker. On several occasions, even when the striker is not performing, Arteta would always play him ahead of other players. This shows that the manager backs him and what he needs to perform.
Of course, this backing would do a lot to Victor Gyökeres’ confidence, and he could begin bagging in the goals for the Gunners. Regardless, the manager’s backing also proves that it could be difficult for Arsenal to sell Gyökeres without Arteta’s approval. This kind of confidence is what players such as Gyökeres need to unlock his potential.
Conclusion
The truth is that not all strikers would come into a team and immediately hit the ground running. Some strikers take time to adapt and begin scoring when they feel comfortable. For others, this process could take a short time. Well, for Victor Gyökeres, his situation seems to be the former. Who knows, he could he the striker that Arsenal have long been waiting for. But, would Arsenal be patient with him until he reaches that point?