An unexpected legal complication involving one of their stars is overshadowing Arsenal’s preparations for a demanding December schedule.
The Gunners are sitting at the top of the Premier League and boast a perfect Champions League record following their win against Club Brugge.
The forward signed for Arsenal for a significant fee in the summer. He had been due to appear as a witness in a high-profile defamation case in Sweden next year.
Arsenal allegedly refused to grant him leave to attend, so they have now postponed the proceedings. The case centres on Viktor Gyokeres’ agent, Hasan Cetinkaya.
He is taking Swedish publications Expressen and Fotboll Sthlm to court over. He is doing so because of allegations linking him and his agency, HCM Sports Management, to criminal gangs.
Cetinkaya has strongly denied the claims and escalated the matter to trial in Stockholm. They expected Gyokeres to give evidence supporting his representative.
However, Swedish outlet Expressen announced the postponement in their update, stating:
“The trial is now postponed. The reason: football star Viktor Gyokeres, who has been requested as a witness, is not allowed time off from his club team Arsenal.”
The postponement has drawn attention back to Arsenal’s relentless fixture list With Mikel Arteta’s side hit by injuries and navigating a congested run of games.
They will play against Wolves, Everton, Brighton, and Aston Villa before the New Year, and the availability of each player has become increasingly important.
Gyokeres himself has endured a mixed start to life in north London. Brought in to add physical presence and goals, he has scored six times in 17 appearances across all competitions.
For now, both the club and the player must focus on immediate results, with the legal chapter pushed further down the line in Sweden.
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