I'm called Mr Composure at Arsenal – I could leave perfect gift for Viktor Gyokeres

The player dubbed as 'Mr Composure' looks set to leave Arsenal this summer, leaving his shirt number behind as a perfect welcome gift for Viktor Gyokeres.

Oleksandr Zinchenko could be on his way out of Emirates Stadium this summer after three seasons with the club. With Mikel Arteta'ssearch for a striker ongoing, Zinchenko's possible departure may leave the number 17 jersey open for Gyokeresto claim, should Arsenal move for theSporting CP hotshot.

Gyokeres has famously worn the No. 9 jersey throughout his prolific stint in Portugal. However, that number is already assigned to Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal.

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Yet the No. 17 has also held significance to the Swedish star, having previously worn it with Coventry City, IF Brommapojkarna and for his national side.

As it stands, it's believed that Arteta favours RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko to bolster his attack. Yet should a pivot to Gyokeres occur, the jersey looks likely to be available for the 27-year-old, providing Zinchenko gets the green light to move away from north London.

Despite Zinchenko looking surplus to requirements at Arsenal, the Ukrainian star has been the centre of great admiration from his team-mates and manager over the years. Declan Rice once christened him 'Mr Composure' after a typically reliable display.

Speaking after Zinchenko made an error in a 2-1 win over Wolves in December 2023, Arteta also refused to slate his player and instead said: "You have to love him, how he is. Every player has strengths and weaknesses. Alex has many more strengths."

William Saliba was also highly complimentary. Taking to instagram, the centre-back commented under a picture of Zinchenko playing padel, saying: "You the best at everything [love heart eyes emoji]."

Arsenal are said to have placed a £17million price tag on Zinchenko, which AC Milan are believed to be willing to pay. However, the Gunners are reportedly willing to accept a cut-price fee given that he only has one year left on his contract.

Zinchenko has only featured 15 times for the Gunners in the Premier League this season, having struggled with injuries earlier in the campaign.

The emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly looks to have put the brakes on his Arsenal career, with the England youngster also close to singing a new contract. Riccardo Calafiori was also preferred at left-back throughout the season to Zinchenko.

In March, Zinchenko revealed that he was unsure on what the future holds. "I don't know yet to be honest," the 26-year-old said. "If I knew, I could tell you. It's still a long way to go until the end of the season.

"Honestly, I am so happy to be part of this amazing club and team. It is really a joy to be close to these guys. Whenever the team and head coach needs me, I am there. In any position they need me, I am there to help."