Viktor Gyokeres Ready to Push for Arsenal January Exit After Failing to Start a Premier League Game

Viktor Gyokeres is reportedly prepared to force a January exit from Arsenal after growing frustrated at a lack of Premier League starts, with Atletico Madrid and clubs across Europe monitoring the situation. The Sweden striker, who scored 21 goals last season, is said to be reassessing his future under Mikel Arteta.

  • Player: Viktor Gyokeres, Sweden international striker
  • Club: Arsenal, signed from Sporting CP in 2025
  • Situation: Reportedly ready to push for a January exit
  • Key reason: Yet to start a Premier League game this season
  • Main suitor: Atletico Madrid, with interest also from England, Italy and Germany
  • Stance: A January separation could reportedly suit both parties

Deal details

According to TeamTalk, Gyokeres "is ready to quit Arsenal and is set to push for a January exit". No fee has been reported. The forward arrived from Sporting CP in 2025 after Arsenal chose him ahead of Benjamin Sesko, and he delivered 21 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the Premier League, during a title-winning campaign that also brought a run to the Champions League final.

Atletico Madrid's interest was reportedly discussed directly with Arsenal during meetings involving Andrea Berta in the summer. Interest is also said to exist from the Premier League, Italy and Germany, so the market is not limited to a single option. Arsenal are described as open to doing more business in attack and could be willing to sanction a departure while chasing another forward.

The numbers

  • 21 — goals for Gyokeres in all competitions last season
  • 14 — of those goals scored in the Premier League
  • 4 — goals for Sweden during the recent Nations League international break
  • 0 — Premier League starts for Gyokeres this season, per the report

Why Gyokeres is unsettled at Arsenal

Sources cited in the report state that his lack of opportunities is the main reason he is now looking towards the exit door. For a striker of his profile and age, drifting through the first half of a season while waiting for starts is not an acceptable reality. His international form — four goals in the recent Nations League break and regular scoring for Sweden — only strengthens his belief that he should be playing more often at club level.

The picture at Arsenal is more layered. Kai Havertz is currently the preferred option through the middle, while the club's long-standing admiration for Julian Alvarez remains active. Arsenal's pursuit of Alvarez over the summer was, in the words of the report, "a development that could not be ignored by Gyokeres and his camp". For a forward already fighting for starts, that sends a clear message about where he sits in the pecking order.

Why Arsenal may accept a January exit

The most telling line in the report is that, with the player open to a departure and the club still keen to strengthen their attacking options, a January separation could suit both parties. That reframes the story. It is no longer simply one unhappy player agitating for minutes; it becomes a structural squad decision about how Arsenal want to build their forward line.

That said, the situation raises fair questions about recruitment alignment. Arsenal spent months doing their homework on Gyokeres before completing the move, and Arteta had been clear in wanting him in north London. For that level of planning to produce this uncertainty little more than a year later is a notable failure of squad planning, however the next window unfolds.

Talking points

  • How can a striker who scored 14 Premier League goals in a title-winning season be yet to start a league game this campaign? That is hard to defend on any level.
  • The Alvarez pursuit sent a message whether Arsenal intended it or not. You cannot chase an elite forward and expect your current one to feel secure.
  • If Havertz is genuinely the preferred option, Arsenal should back that through selection. If Gyokeres is valued, use him properly rather than letting him drift.
  • Selling in January and then spending heavily again would look like another expensive correction rather than a clear, coherent plan for the attack.

What happens next

Gyokeres' camp is expected to push the issue towards the January window, and Atletico Madrid remain firmly in the frame alongside suitors from England, Italy and Germany. Arsenal still have time to change the direction of the story with more starts, a clearer role and firmer communication. If both sides see logic in a split, the coming months become about shaping the right deal.

Frequently asked questions

Is Viktor Gyokeres leaving Arsenal in January?

According to TeamTalk, Gyokeres is ready to quit Arsenal and is set to push for a January exit, with a separation described as potentially suiting both parties.

Why is Viktor Gyokeres unhappy at Arsenal?

His lack of opportunities is cited as the main reason, with the striker yet to start a Premier League game this season while Kai Havertz is the preferred option.

Which clubs are interested in signing Viktor Gyokeres?

Atletico Madrid remain firmly in the frame after interest was discussed with Arsenal in the summer, with additional interest from the Premier League, Italy and Germany.

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