Cliff Notes – Viktor Gyökeres joins from Sporting CP
- Arsenal has signed striker Viktor Gyökeres for €63 million, with potential add-ons of €10 million, on a five-year contract.
- Gyökeres, who scored 54 goals last season, is expected to enhance Arsenal’s attacking options following a challenging previous season marred by injuries.
Arsenal transfers: Viktor Gyökeres joins from Sporting CP
Arsenal have completed the signing of highly sought-after striker Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP, the club announced on Saturday.
Gyökeres arrives in a deal worth €63 million ($74m) plus €10m ($11.7m) in add-ons.
The 27-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Premier League side, who have long been linked with a new striker. He will wear the No. 14 shirt at his new club.
Premier League’s big spenders gear up for epic title race
Arsenal and Sporting had been locked in negotiations for some time, with sources telling ESPN the delay was due to disagreements over the details of performance-related add-ons.
“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Viktor Gyökeres to the club,” Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said in a statement. “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.
Atlético Madrid sign Dávid Hancko after Al Nassr move collapses
Arsenal’s long search for a No. 9
“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.”
Arsenal’s long search for a No. 9 has come to an end with the signing of Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP.
The Sweden international arrives with a glowing reputation, and was also the subject of interest from Manchester United and Saudi Pro League sides this summer.
Gyökeres scored 54 goals last season in all competitions for Sporting, the most by a player at a top-flight club. In total, he scored 68 league goals in just 66 appearances in Portugal — with 39 netted last season alone — since joining from Championship side Coventry City in 2023.
He also enjoyed spells in English football at Swansea City and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta said: “We are so pleased with the excellent deal we have completed to bring Viktor Gyökeres to the club. Viktor is an exceptional talent and has consistently demonstrated he has the qualities and winning mentality required of a top-level centre forward. His physicality, intelligence and work ethic make him a perfect fit for our vision.
“We are confident Viktor will have a major impact on the pitch and become an important figure in our dressing room.”
Gyökeres adds more firepower to an Arsenal side who were hamstrung by injuries in the second half of last season.
Kai Havertz, who was one of those absentees, was the only recognised senior striker brought on the preseason tour by Arteta.
While Gyökeres had a 28.1% shot conversion rate in the Primeira Liga last season, Arsenal’s strikers had a collective 16.5% conversion rate last season in the Premier League.
Arteta is eager for Gyökeres to join the club’s preseason tour with Arsenal playing Newcastle in Singapore on Sunday and then flying to Hong Kong on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s game against archrivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons.
