Arsenal’s stand-in forward Mikel Merino says he’s been pleasantly surprised by Viktor Gyokeres.

Viktor Gyokeres has made an instant impact on new Arsenal teammate Mikel Merino.
The Spanish midfielder holds high expectations for the £63.5 million striker, and the Swede is already impressing on the training ground.
Mikel Arteta finally secured a natural No. 9 after previously deploying midfielders like Kai Havertz and Merino up front. Gyokeres arrived off the back of an extraordinary 54 goals in 52 games last season and has already scored in pre-season for the Gunners.

While success in Portugal hasn’t always translated to the Premier League, Merino is encouraged by what he’s seen so far. On the pitch, Gyokeres has shown exactly what was expected. Off the pitch, however, Merino has been pleasantly surprised — particularly by the striker’s professionalism, humility, and rapid adaptation to life at Arsenal.

“Hopefully loads of goals — that’s what he does,” Merino told TNT Sports. “He’s an amazing striker — strong, quick, and capable of threatening the backline. But off the pitch, I’ve been even more impressed. He’s humble, professional, eager to learn, and always attentive. Those are great qualities for a striker.”

Merino acknowledges that both player and team will need time to fully sync, but he’s confident Gyokeres will be a major asset this season.
“With every player, you have to adapt to the team’s principles while also playing to their strengths,” he said. “Viktor is such a talented striker with unique tools — he’ll be huge for us. We just need to find him in the right spots, and he’ll adapt to our values. I’m sure it will be a great partnership.”