'Useless' - Frank Leboeuf Compares Gyokeres to £64m Man Utd Flop

Frank Leboeuf says Arsenal's use of Viktor Gyokeres was ‘useless’ in the 1-0 win over Manchester United and warns the Sweden international could turn out to be an expensive flop like Red Devils outcast Rasmus Hojlund.

Gyokeres had an underwhelming Premier League debut on Sunday as he struggled to make his presence felt during his first competitive game for the Gunners.

Leboeuf says the 26-year-old striker’s performance raised concerns about why Arsenal recruited a forward of Gyokeres’ style, claiming the Swedish star is not necessarily suited to the way Mikel Arteta’s side play.

The former Chelsea defender noted that Gyokeres is used to playing more direct football, while Arsenal’s tactical set-up on Sunday was focused on a more patient approach, which did not suit the former Sporting Lisbon striker.

Frank Leboeuf Slams Viktor Gyokeres

Leboeuf, speaking on ESPN, claimed Gyokeres’ performance on Sunday reminded him of Hojlund’s struggles in a Man United shirt:

“My concern is, why do you recruit a player like Gyokeres when you know that the rest of the team won't play that way, and they won't do what you are expecting them to do – cross the ball a little bit quicker, without turning around, like you are playing handball. “You have a player that you need to cross the ball to as quickly as possible, and if you block it, and you make it slow, that guy is useless. “So why do you use a type of player like that? Why do you sign a player like that when, in fact, the rest of the team doesn't understand him or his way of thinking about football? “For me, it's useless. And I really thought, I hope he’s going to change and score goals and everything. But I thought Hojlund signed for Arsenal and played today against his former teammates. That was the way I saw Gyokeres today. “So I really hope that he's not going to have the same path, you know, like Hojlund, and score many, many goals for the Gunners. “But today, he was nowhere near it, because it wasn't at the same level of music that the others are playing. The others were playing a kind of sloppy but slow-motion game while he was trying to get more vertical – one ball, one opportunity, one cross. It never happened.”

Gyokeres was starved of opportunities in front of goal on Sunday, failing to attempt a single shot during his 60 minutes on the pitch and completing just four passes.

He was replaced by Kai Havertz on the hour mark, as Arsenal secured their first three points of the season with a hard-fought victory against the Red Devils.

Hojlund, meanwhile, was left out of Ruben Amorim’s squad for United’s Premier League opener, as he is expected to depart before the transfer deadline.

According to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Fabrizio Romano, the £64m Denmark international has interest from several clubs around Europe, including AC Milan.

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