Picture Credit: X
On Saturday, July 26, Arsenal confirmed the signing of one of the most-sought-after strikers in the current transfer window, Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon. The Gunners took to social media to confirm the signing of the 27-year-old, who was in the radar of several Premier League clubs, including the likes of Manchester United.
However, the club did not confirm the deal for the Sweden international, but the 27-year-old reportedly joins the Gunners in a deal worth €63 million ($74m) plus €10m ($11.7m) in add-ons, as reported by ESPN. Moreover, it is being said that Arsenal have roped in the service of Gyokeres for a five-year contract and he will be wearing the No. 14 shirt at his new club.
Viktor Gyokeres joins Arsenal in a five-year deal; to wear No. 14
If reports are to be believed, it has now come to the forefront that the deal was delayed due to negotiations due to disagreements over details of performance related add-ons. However, while his move was confirmed late on Saturday, Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta also was delighted as well as relieved by the Swedish’s joining.
"We're absolutely delighted to welcome Viktor Gyökeres to the club. The consistency he has shown in his performances and availability have been outstanding, and his goal contributions speak for themselves. Viktor has so many qualities. He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels. He brings a clinical edge with a high conversion rate of chances into goals, with his intelligent movement in the box making him a constant threat,” said Arteta, as stated in the release.
"We're excited about what Viktor brings to our squad and are looking forward to start working with him. We welcome Viktor and his family to Arsenal," the manager further added. Further highlight Viktor Gyokeres’ perfromance, the striker scored 97 goals in his 102 appearances at Sporting Libson.
During his two seasons with Sporting, Viktor helped the team win back-to-back Primeira Liga titles, a national cup, and was the league’s top scorer in both campaigns. He has also excelled at international level, scoring 12 goals in his last 17 appearances for Sweden.
