Arsenal star ready to quit in January as agents work with Premier League rival move on

Arsenal return to Premier League duty at Nottingham Forest on Sunday knowing there is little room to lose ground in the title race.

The champions sit second after winning five of their opening six league games, but Man City’s perfect start means Mikel Arteta’s side remain the hunters.

REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Arsenal have responded well to their defeat at Brighton, with a tough 2-1 victory over Leeds followed by a confident 3-0 Champions League win against Lille on Tuesday, restoring momentum before a difficult trip to the City Ground.

Forest have collected only five points and were beaten 3-1 by Crystal Palace last weekend. However, Arsenal have won just once on their previous six visits to the ground, so another uncomfortable afternoon is possible.

Arteta is also dealing with several fitness concerns.

Martín Zubimendi could return after his ankle problem improved, but Piero Hincapié, William Saliba and Christos Tzolis are expected to remain unavailable.

The biggest attacking decision may again involve Viktor Gyökeres.

Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Kai Havertz is expected to retain his place through the middle, leaving Gyokeres facing another appearance from the bench, and that selection battle now sits at the heart of a major story surrounding the Sweden international’s future.

Viktor Gyokeres ready to push for January exit as Premier League clubs circle

Reuters/Matthew Childs

TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey reports that Gyokeres is ready to seek a move away from Arsenal when the January window opens.

The striker is reportedly unhappy for two main reasons, the first being his lack of Premier League starts this season, with Havertz moving ahead of him in Arteta’s plans.

Gyokeres returned from international duty in excellent scoring form for Sweden, but that has not yet earned him a league start for Arsenal.

He also struggled to influence the victory over Lille, when the service into him was often quite limited.

Arteta defended the striker afterwards, and argued that several promising situations broke down before the final pass reached him, yet patience may already be running out on the player’s side.

REUTERS/Peter Cziborra

The second concern is Arsenal’s continuing interest in Julian Alvarez.

The Gunners explored a summer deal for the Atlético Madrid forward and the lengthy pursuit is said to have left Gyokeres questioning his standing at the club. Alvarez stayed in Spain, but Arsenal remain interested and could return for him.

That possibility would create another major barrier between Gyokeres and regular football.

Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes

Bailey adds that representatives are examining possible destinations before January.

Atletico remain interested, while unnamed Premier League teams have also made their interest known, so a move to one of Arsenal’s domestic rivals could be on.

Arsenal could reportedly listen to offers because they are still planning to add another forward, and that would represent a dramatic change for a player signed for more than £60 million just last year.

Gyokeres helped Arsenal win the title and reach the Champions League final during his first season, so his time in north London has not been a failure, with the ex-Sporting CP star bagging 21 goals in all competitions last year.

Sunday could offer another clue.

If Havertz starts and Gyokeres is again left with limited minutes, talk of a January departure will only grow.