Gallas: Arsenal Must Shift Tactics and Offload Two Players to Unlock Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres has managed 18 goals across 47 appearances since his £55m arrival from Sporting last summer, yet the Sweden international continues to attract criticism over his impact at Arsenal. Now William Gallas, the former Gunner who made 142 appearances for the club in the late 2000s, reckons the solution goes beyond simply signing a replacement.

Rather than pursue an entirely new frontman, Gallas has diagnosed a deeper problem: Arsenal's tactical setup and personnel are failing to maximise Gyokeres' strengths. Speaking to BoyleSports, the Frenchman suggested his old club could benefit from either recruiting a world-class striker or fundamentally altering their style of play.

The core issue, according to Gallas, stems from how Arsenal operate on the counter-attack. "When Arsenal play on the counter-attack, I think sometimes the midfielders have to look for Viktor Gyokeres to give him the ball at the first opportunity," he explained. "Gyokeres always asks for the ball in front, in the space, but he doesn't get the ball, because the midfielder wants to keep the ball. That is the style of Arsenal."

For Gyokeres to hit the 20-goal mark next season—a threshold Gallas deems necessary—Arsenal must evolve. The problem is compounded by personnel issues on the wing. Gallas identified Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard as the weak links, suggesting Arsenal need genuine quality on the left flank rather than squad depth.

That's where the transfer market comes in. Arsenal have been monitoring left-wing options ahead of the summer window, with sporting director Andrea Berta reportedly keen to strengthen that area. Two Paris Saint-Germain stars have emerged as targets: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola.

Gallas has already made his choice. "Would I prefer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or Bradley Barcola for Arsenal? Barcola," he stated. His reasoning is straightforward: with a striker of Gyokeres' calibre in the team, Arsenal need creative players capable of feeding him chances. Without that support, even tactical tweaks won't be enough.