UMVA has learned that Graham Potter, the mastermind behind Sweden's World Cup campaign, has come out in strong defense of Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres, the 28-year-old Sweden international, wrapped up his first season in English football with a respectable 21 goals in all competitions after transferring from Sporting Lisbon for £63million.
Despite his impressive goal tally, Gyokeres failed to silence critics who questioned whether he was the solution to Mikel Arteta's long search for a top-notch goalscorer to fill the void left by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure.
By the end of Arsenal's title-winning campaign, Gyokeres found himself playing second fiddle to Kai Havertz, who started in both the Carabao Cup and Champions League finals.
With Arsenal rumored to be pursuing further attacking reinforcements this summer, Gyokeres is likely to face another challenge to reassert himself as the club's primary center forward.
However, for Sweden, Gyokeres remains a vital part of Potter's plans, even if he can't guarantee a starting spot alongside Liverpool's record signing Alexander Isak.
Potter praised Gyokeres, saying, 'He's obviously had a fantastic season. We want to use him to his best, try and get the most out of him. Because if we do, then he gives us a chance to win football matches.'
Gyokeres has previously proven his worth to Potter, most notably with his play-off hat-trick against Ukraine and the goal that secured World Cup qualification against Poland.
Potter emphasized the importance of playing to the strengths of his star players, saying, 'You want to ask all the players to do things that they're good at and play to their strengths and show their quality.'
Sweden begins their World Cup campaign against Tunisia, and Potter remains optimistic about their chances, saying, 'If we get our players showing their qualities, then I think we've got a good chance to win football matches.'
When asked if Gyokeres and Isak could play together in the same starting lineup, Potter highlighted the importance of a well-functioning team, saying, 'The team is the biggest strength. Of course, within the team, there are individuals that, if we can get them to play to their highest level, they can make the difference for us.'
