Arsenal successfully recruited Gyokeres at a surprisingly low price, receiving the legendary shirt number

VHO - Arsenal FC officially announced that they had successfully recruited striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon. The deal was completed on July 26, after weeks of intense negotiations between the two clubs.

According to ESPN, Gyokeres joined Arsenal in a deal worth 63 million euros (equivalent to 74 million USD), with 10 million euros (11.7 million USD) in performance-based fees. This transfer fee is relatively low compared to Gyokeres's 75 million euro valuation on Transfermarkt.

The Swedish striker has signed a five-year contract and will wear the number 14 shirt at the Emirates Stadium, the same number worn by the legendary Thierry Henry, Arsenal's greatest ever goalscorer.

The Swedish striker signed a 5-year contract with Arsenal, officially becoming the London team's most notable rookie in the 2025 summer transfer window.

The Missing Piece

With the addition of Gyokeres, Arsenal hopes to solve the problem of center forwards, which has been an inherent weakness in recent seasons. Coach Mikel Arteta has repeatedly expressed his desire to bring in a top-class striker to improve the attack, especially after the team failed in the Premier League title race for three consecutive seasons.

"We are delighted to welcome Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal," said Arteta. "He has a great consistency in his performances, a great consistency in his appearances and a great goalscoring record. Viktor is a modern striker, quick, powerful and has a killer instinct in the box. His intelligent movement makes him a constant threat to any defence."

"We are excited about what Viktor will bring to the squad and look forward to working with him. We would like to welcome Viktor and his family to Arsenal."

Impressive statistics

Gyokeres moved to Arsenal after a breakout season with Sporting CP. The 27-year-old scored 54 goals in all competitions – the highest tally by a player at a club in Europe’s top league last season.

In the Portuguese National Championship (Primeira Liga) alone, he scored 39 goals out of 68 in 66 matches since joining from Coventry City in 2023.

Gyokeres previously played in England for Swansea City and Brighton & Hove Albion, but only really shone after moving to Portugal.

His brilliant form has attracted interest from many big clubs, including Manchester United and some clubs in the Saudi Pro League.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta said: "Viktor is an exceptional talent, possessing the ideal qualities of a top striker: strength, judgment and fighting spirit. He is the perfect addition to the development direction of the club, and we believe Viktor will make a big impact both on and off the pitch."

Gyokeres receives Arsenal's legendary number 14 shirt

The driving force for championship ambitions

Arsenal are facing a number of difficulties in the second half of the 2024-2025 season due to a lack of depth in attack due to injuries. Kai Havertz – one of the players facing long-term layoffs – is the only experienced striker Arteta has brought with him on the pre-season tour.

In that context, the appearance of Gyokeres is expected to bring a breath of fresh air. Last season, he achieved a conversion rate of up to 28.1% in the Primeira Liga - nearly double the average of 16.5% of Arsenal strikers in the Premier League.

Arteta hopes Gyokeres will be fit and available for Sunday's friendly against Newcastle in Singapore. Arsenal then travel to Hong Kong to prepare for Thursday's clash with Tottenham.

Under Arteta, Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons. The addition of Viktor Gyokeres is not only to improve the performance of the attacking line but also shows the determination to break the dominance of Manchester City in the title race in the 2025-2026 season.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/arsenal-chieu-mo-thanh-cong-gyokeres-voi-gia-re-bat-ngo-nhan-so-ao-huyen-thoai-156549.html