Sol Campbell has backed Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres to become ‘great’ once his teammates have a better understanding of his movement.
Gyokeres has largely struggled in the Premier League since joining Arsenal from Sporting CP in a deal worth £64m in the summer transfer window.
The Sweden international has only registered one goal across his last 10 appearances in the top-flight.
But speaking ahead of Arsenal’s next match, a trip to Everton on Saturday, former Gunners centre-back Campbell has defended Gyokeres, declaring that the 27-year-old is ‘built’ for the Premier League.
‘Once they (his teammates) understand Gyokeres’ movement and once he gets up to speed with the quickness and the cut and thrust of the Premier League, he will be great,’ Campbell told Paddy Power.
‘He’s built for the Premier League, and his teammates have to understand the runs he makes, feeding him the ball when he’s in the right position for him.
‘Every centre-forward wants to be fed in different ways.
‘What Thierry Henry wanted was different to Freddie Ljungberg and was different again for Jose Reyes or Dennis Bergkamp.
‘Gyokeres is a different player and you have to feed him in the way prefers to get the best out of him.’
Martin Keown expressed concerns over Gyokeres’ fitness levels after his quiet performance in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Wolves last week.
Paul Scholes, meanwhile, believes Mikel Arteta was pressured into signing Gyokeres in the summer window because he was ‘last striker available’.
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Rio Ferdinand says Gyokeres may need to work on his understanding with Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard to end his barren spell in front of goal for Arsenal.
‘There are two or three things I look at with Gyokeres that he needs to understand,’ Ferdinand said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel earlier this week.
‘His movement… I think they had 30 crosses in, the second-most they’ve had, and I’m watching him when the ball is wide.
‘I’m not saying he’s got terrible movement. I’m just saying you need to understand who is on the ball.
‘[Depending on] who is on the ball, you move differently.
‘If [Martin] Odegaard’s on the ball, he’s going to move differently to when Saka’s on the ball and vice versa, but I just don’t think there’s that telepathy yet.
‘There’s not that understanding there, that I’ve got to move here when Saka’s there.’
