adminTony Adams Questions Arsenal Signing – Names Player They Should’ve Got Instead
Legendary Arsenal captain Tony Adams has claimed that Arsenal should’ve signed a different striker instead of Viktor Gyokeres, stating that the jury is still out on the Swedish international. Gyokeres was one of the hottest commodities this summer after scoring 97 goals across two seasons for Sporting CP in Portugal, eventually opting to join the Gunners despite interest elsewhere in England and Europe.
Some have questioned the decision to bring in the former Swansea City man, citing the fact that the Primeira Liga is a weaker division and that the type of goals Gyokeres scored are not the type of chances expected to fall his way at the Emirates. And it seems as though Adams is one of those who shares those concerns.
Adams Names Gyokeres Alternative
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League opener at Old Trafford against Manchester United, as per the Metro, Adams suggested that Arsenal would’ve been better off signing Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins rather than Gyokeres. Watkins was the subject of interest from the Gunners late in the January transfer window last season, but stayed put at Villa Park.
“The Portuguese lad [Gyokeres]… I don’t know yet. He’s not tried and tested,” claimed Adams, before saying:
“I would have liked to have seen them get Ollie Watkins to be honest with you. He’s a Gooner, he might have given us a year and we might have won the title.”
Instead of signing the Arsenal fan, Arteta opted to back Gyokeres and has since said he expects him to be a transformative signing for the Gunners.
Adams would later go on to say that he would strip Martin Odegaard of the captain’s armband and instead give it to Decaln Rice if he was Arteta. The 58-year-old was one of the most inspirational leaders as a player, and believes that Odegaard, who struggled last campaign, would be better off without the weight of being the skipper.
“I think he’s got a really big call to make this year and, for me, he hasn’t done it and the call is to make Declan Rice captain,” Adams explained.
“Declan is my kind of captain and it might free up [Martin] Odegaard up to play with a bit more freedom because he had a very average season last year.
“I think Rice is an Arsenal leader, I think he is. He’s good in the dressing room, around the training camp. He’s got standards, he’s got principles and I can see the man and he’s a proper player, a proper captain.
“I would have done it, but Arteta hasn’t done it so I’m being critical of Arteta at the moment. Big managers go, ‘Right actually, you’re my man now!'”
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