Viktor Gyokeres is the new Francis Jeffers, Arsenal’s impotent fox in the box

In the summer of 2001, Arsenal responded to three successive runner-up finishes with a statement signing in attack.

Arsene Wenger spent £10million on Everton’s Francis Jeffers, an eye-catching fee for the predatory ‘fox in the box’ striker regarded as England’s next Michael Owen.

But Jeffers never lived up to his billing at Arsenal . Injuries didn’t help, but neither did a series of invisible performances that suggested Wenger had accidentally signed the player’s hologram.

Twenty-four seasons later, it’s starting to feel like Arsenal have made a similar miscalculation with Viktor Gyokeres.

Signed for £64million last summer, Gyokeres has just five Premier League goals to his name and hasn’t netted from open play since November.

Remarkably, he is Arsenal’s joint-top goalscorer in the league with Leandro Trossard. The Gunners are on course to set a Premier League record if they win the title.

Chelsea’s Frank Lampard in 2004-05 and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gündogan in 2020-21 are tied on 13 as the lowest top scorers in a team crowned champions.

For context, Dennis Bergkamp holds that record for Arsenal with 16 back in 1997-98.

Scrutiny of Gyokeres’ underwhelming performances is increasing, becoming something of a cottage industry for Sky Sports.

The 0-0 draw with Liverpool was the seventh league match where the Sweden international failed to register a shot on goal.

Some Arsenal fans have been reduced to talking up the striker’s all-round game, praising him for occupying defenders like the Lingonberry Giroud or a stray traffic bollard.

We’re loath to give Rio Ferdinand any credit, but his observation that Gyokeres is too busy tussling with centre-backs to provide the required movement is bang on the money.

Mikel Arteta is still batting for his centre forward in public, praising his work-rate and emphasising that the important thing is the team’s collective goal threat.

“We want the goals to be spread and our strikers to score over 20 goals,” Arteta said. “That’s the idea.

“We’re not going to change Viktor’s desire or his attitude or his work rate or how much he’s willing to score goals because he’s got another player in [competition], because of the circumstances.

“Because sometimes there’s an element of luck to score goals as well or energy that has to go in your way. And it will come.

“The good thing is that the team is performing really well and winning matches.”

The Gunners still won the league and cup double in 2001-02 with Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Sylvain Wiltord compensating for Jeffers’ impotence.

And his £10million fee was quietly swept under the carpet. Jeffers left Arsenal in 2003 and all parties agreed to never speak of the deal again.

Gyokeres still has time to avoid the same fate, but he currently feels destined to be ushered out on loan to Serie A before a cut-price move to Fenerbahce in the summer of 2027.

The striker has fallen short of pre-season expectations, which makes it more remarkable how Arsenal are in pole position to win their first league title in 22 years.

If your reaction to hearing the name of a big-money striker is pity, then something has gone very, very wrong.

And we are fast approaching that stage with Gyokeres, who inherited Thierry Henry’s famous No. 14 shirt and decided to impersonate Jeffers instead.