Viktor Gyökeres signed for Arsenal on 26th July, officially joining the North London club on a long-term contract.
The transfer fee was reported to be £54.8 million, with an additional £8.6 million in potential add-ons, making it one of Arsenal’s biggest signings of the summer.
The Swedish striker penned a five-year deal, signaling Mikel Arteta’s clear intention to bolster the front line with a powerful and consistent goalscorer.
Gyökeres made his unofficial debut shortly after the move, coming on in the 77th minute during Arsenal’s pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur, held at Kai Tak Sports Park Stadium in Hong Kong.
Replacing Kai Havertz, he featured for just 12 to 13 minutes, enough to get a warm reception from excited Arsenal fans, but not enough time to offer a meaningful evaluation of his playing style or chemistry with the squad.
With the Premier League season now less than three weeks away, kicking off on 17th August, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are already shaping their teams and debating which forwards will deliver the most points.
Strikers can be game-changers in FPL, and with Gyökeres now available at a starting price of £9.0 million, many are wondering if he could become a must-have asset.
So, let’s break down Victor Gyökeres as a Fantasy Premier League pick and whether he’s worth a spot in your Gameweek 1 squad.
To understand Gyökeres’ FPL potential, we need to look back at the phenomenal season he just had with Sporting CP.
A Stellar Season at Sporting: The Rise of a Goalscoring Machine
Viktor Gyökeres arrives in the Premier League on the back of an extraordinary 2024/25 season with Sporting CP.
Across all competitions, the Swedish striker scored a staggering 54 goals in 52 matches, while also contributing 13 assists.
His domestic league performance was especially dominant; 39 of those goals came in the Portuguese top division, making him the top scorer across all of Europe’s top 10 leagues.
He narrowly missed out on the European Golden Boot, edged out by Kylian Mbappé due to UEFA’s weighted coefficient system.
His prolific form wasn’t limited to domestic competition. Gyökeres also impressed on the European and international stage.
He was the top scorer in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League with 9 goals, finishing ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, and chipped in with 5 assists for Sweden.
In the Champions League, he netted 6 goals in 8 appearances, including a memorable hat-trick against Manchester City.
This performance knocked the blue side of Manchester out of the competition and marked the final stretch of games before their manager, Ruben Amorim, left for Manchester United.
With such elite numbers behind him, let’s explore the specific qualities that make him a compelling FPL option.
FPL Strengths: What Makes Gyökeres a Standout Pick?
So what makes Gyökeres an appealing asset in Fantasy Premier League? Let’s break down his major strengths:
Elite Goal Output: Gyökeres averaged 1.18 goals per game domestically, an incredible figure that places him among Europe’s most clinical strikers.
His ability to find the net consistently makes him a potential fantasy goldmine.
Big-Game Performer: He’s delivered multiple multi-goal hauls, including key moments in high-pressure games like the hat-trick vs. Man City in the UCL.
That kind of temperament under pressure is valuable when FPL managers seek players who can deliver double-digit returns in big fixtures.
Modern, Complete Striker Profile: Gyökeres is a physical powerhouse, known for strong pressing, clever movement, aerial dominance, and clinical finishing.
His playing style is well-suited to Arteta’s pressing system and could translate well into goals and bonus points in FPL.
His strengths are certainly reflected in his FPL valuation, and early selection stats show that managers are already taking notice.
FPL Pricing and Early Popularity
Gyökeres was officially added to the FPL game on 28th July, priced at £9.0 million.
That puts him in a competitive bracket alongside Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) and Hugo Ekitike (£8.5m), but well below premiums like Erling Haaland (£14.0m) and Alexander Isak (£10.5m).
Despite being new to the Premier League, Gyökeres was already the 8th most selected forward in the game just a day after his FPL price was announced.
As of 29th July, 14.1% of managers had selected him in their squads. In comparison, Joao Pedro (7.5m) led all forwards with 57.2% ownership, followed by Isak (34.1%), Jared Bowen (20%), and Haaland (18.1%).
But the question for many fantasy managers remains: is Gyökeres now Arsenal’s best attacking pick, or does Bukayo Saka still hold that crown?
The Arsenal Dilemma: Saka or Gyökeres?
With Gyökeres priced at £9.0m, a major question arises: Is it better to pick him or stick with Bukayo Saka?
Saka, priced at £10.0m, has long been the FPL go-to option for Arsenal assets.
Last season, he averaged 5.8 points per start, just behind Cole Palmer (5.9), who was the third-highest FPL scorer with 214 points.
Saka also led Arsenal in shots (53) and big chances created (21), indicating that his all-round output remains top-tier. The dilemma deepens when factoring in penalty duties.
One key factor that could tilt the scales in Gyökeres’s favor is whether he becomes Arsenal’s first-choice penalty taker.
Penalty Taker Potential: A Big FPL Factor
Gyökeres’ penalty-taking record is impressive.
Across his time at Sporting, 27 of his 97 total goals came from the spot: a hefty 28%, meaning nearly one-third of his goals were penalties.
His career penalty conversion rate stands at 89.5% (34 scored out of 38), which is exceptional.
Naturally, this raises questions about who will take penalties at Arsenal.
Last season, Saka and Odegaard were first-choice takers, but Gyökeres will surely enter the conversation. When asked about this, Arsenal’s head coach Mikel Arteta said:
“I am sure that he will step in if they allow him to do so, because as you can see, he has been very consistent and he scored many goals, but we have some other penalty takers, really good ones as well, so they will resolve it themselves, and if not, I will intervene in the right moment.”
This quote makes it clear that if Gyökeres becomes the designated penalty taker, the £1.0m price difference between him and Saka could prove decisive for many managers.
However, even the most prolific penalty taker needs the right fixtures, and Arsenal’s opening schedule could complicate early investment from FPL managers.
Fixture Difficulty & Early Season Outlook
However, Arsenal’s opening fixtures could dampen early excitement.
They face a tough run in the first six Gameweeks: Manchester United, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, and Newcastle are all on the schedule.
Their average fixture difficulty rating for this stretch is 3.5, one of the worst in the league.
This challenging start may lead to rotation or gradual integration for Gyökeres, making it wise for managers to monitor his minutes and penalty status before locking him into their teams.
Beyond the Arsenal squad, Gyökeres enters a highly competitive FPL price bracket, raising questions about his value compared to other forwards.
Comparable Alternatives & Forward Dilemma
French football journalist Julien Laurens weighed in on the debate on the FPL Podcast, stating that while Gyökeres is exciting, he would not choose him over Erling Haaland, especially in Gyökeres’ debut season.
Haaland, who had a relatively underwhelming season by his standards, will be looking to bounce back and still holds an unmatched Premier League pedigree.
For FPL managers working within tight budgets, Gyökeres does offer an alternative to fitting both Salah (£14.5m) and Haaland (£14.0m), which would cost a combined £28.5m.
In such scenarios, picking Gyökeres as a mid-tier striker allows room for flexibility across the rest of the squad.
Still, if you’re weighing Gyökeres against others in his price range, like Ollie Watkins (16 league goals and 8 assists last season), there’s an argument for proven Premier League output.
Especially when you factor in that, according to Opta Analyst, 43% of Gyökeres’ league goals last season came against bottom-four Portuguese sides, and he managed only 2 goals in 8 matches against top-five league opponents.
So, where does all of this leave FPL managers as they prepare for Gameweek 1?
Take-Home Advice: High Ceiling, But Wait & Watch
At £9.0m, Viktor Gyökeres is a high-ceiling differential.
He sits just below the ultra-premium strikers but above budget picks. If he starts regularly and takes penalties, he could become a mainstay in FPL squads.
For now, the advice is to monitor his minutes, watch Arsenal’s rotation, and see whether Arteta entrusts him with penalties.
If those boxes are ticked, Gameweek 7 onward, when Arsenal’s fixtures ease, could be the perfect time to bring him in.
One final stat to consider: Rob T. FPL’s projected goals model for the season puts Gyökeres third behind only Haaland (24.5 goals) and Salah (18.25), with 16.25 expected league goals.
Behind him were Palmer (14.75) and Watkins (14.25).
That projection confirms Gyökeres’ appeal as a budget-friendly, high-upside forward, but only if he delivers on early expectations.
With projections like these, it’s clear that Viktor Gyökeres has all the tools to become one of FPL’s most valuable forwards this season.
But as with any new arrival to the Premier League, a touch of caution is warranted.
For now, the smart move may be to keep a close eye on his minutes, role, and penalty responsibilities in the opening weeks because if everything clicks, Gyökeres could quickly become a must-have in your fantasy squad.
