"You’d need to see more than what we saw" - Rio Ferdinand warns Manchester United and Chelsea against signing €65 million-rated Arsenal target

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has warned Premier League clubs about Viktor Gyokeres amid reported interest from his former club, Arsenal and Chelsea. He highlighted how the striker had not managed to deal well with the physicality of the league.

Speaking on TNT Sports after Arsenal thrashed Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League, Ferdinand claimed that Gyokerres struggled against William Saliba and Gabriel. He believes that the striker has shown his biggest weakness and said:

"His strengths played into the strengths of the two central defenders he was up against and that’s what he’d find in the Premier League week in week out. Two big strong centre halves the majority of the time. Can he deal with them? It wasn’t until Gabriel went off that he actually got a bit of joy against Kiwior, a player who’s not as big and not as strong.

"These two centre halve are the best as a partnership and they didn’t give him an ounce the whole game. He’s been crucifying teams in those areas running the channels, these guys look supremely comfortable in doing that. Have I seen enough to say he can come to the Premier League and be a success? I’m not saying he wouldn’t, but I’m saying you’d need to see more than what we saw today."

Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have been linked with a move for Gyokeres. Real Madrid and Barcelona are also said to be keeping tabs on the forward this season as he is in red-hot form at Sporting CP.

Manchester United target urged to join Arsenal by former Gunner

Former Arsenal star Anders Limpar has urged Viktor Gyokeres to pick the Gunners as his next club. He believes that the striker would do well at the Emirates and told FotbollDirekt:

"If we at Arsenal [were to] buy Gyokeres, then he will definitely call me. But then to see Gyokeres at Arsenal, that would be crazy. His work rate, he runs like a madman. When it doesn't work out for Viktor, he works his way into the game with uncomfortable runs. We have to remember that the Portuguese league is inferior to the Premier League, but when Manchester City came to visit Lisbon, he scored a hat-trick, so he's fully capable of scoring in England."

Apart from Gyokeres, Arsenal are also keeping tabs on Aleksander Isak as they look to bolster their attack. Manchester United are looking to add a forward despite signing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in teh last two summer windows.