“Manchester United gave me an offered never seen in English football history but here’s why I decided to join Arsenal after talking to Mikel Arteta”: Arsenal new striker Viktor Gyokeres has revealed what Mikel Arteta told him which made him chose Arsenal over Manchester United

Viktor Gyokeres has explained exactly why he wanted to join Arsenal, whose manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have welcomed the striker to the club – all while working on an even more expensive follow-up signing.

Arsenal have finally got their long-desired striker signing after confirming the arrival of Gyokeres from Sporting CP. The Swedish striker has signed a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium and will wear the iconic no.14 shirt for the Gunners.

Arsenal have paid an initial €63.5m (£55.3m) for Gyokeres, who could eventually be worth €73.5m (£64.2m) with add-ons.

It’s a big opportunity for the former Brighton, Swansea and Coventry striker to make his mark in the Premier League.

“I just felt that it was the right club for me,” he explained in his first interview with Arsenal’s official website. “What I heard from Mikel and Andrea when I was speaking with them, and just what I’ve seen in the past years, how they’ve been playing football. When I was playing against Arsenal last season, I could really feel it was a very strong team and very difficult to play against.

“That made me choose Arsenal, and of course all the history the club has and the massive fanbase. It’s been amazing to see all the support that they have already given me before I even arrived. That’s what it’s all about. It’s going to be very nice to see them in the stadiums as well.”

Gyokeres won’t be the only new signing Arsenal fans get to watch next season, since their recruitment drive has also seen the signings of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera.

And there are already eyes on the next prize, with Ben Jacobs reporting on Saturday evening that Arsenal are ‘now considering whether to make a bid’ for Eberechi Eze.

The Crystal Palace attacking midfielder is a top target for the Gunners, who – Jacobs reveals – have now held some ‘initial talks’ with Crystal Palace.

Eze has a £68m release clause in his contract, made up of a £60m fixed price and £8m in bonuses, but Arsenal are contemplating whether to make a lower bid to test Palace’s resolve.

What may help is that Eze is interested in a move to Arsenal, with the 27-year-old having entered the final two years of his contract at Selhurst Park.

Arteta and Berta welcome Gyokeres to Arsenal

But back to the present and Arsenal are celebrating the signing of one of Europe’s most prolific strikers; Gyokeres scored 54 goals for Sporting last season.

But it’s not just his goalscoring ability that makes Berta and Arteta think he will be a valuable addition to a team that has finished as the Premier League runners up for three seasons in a row.

Berta said: “We are so pleased with the excellent deal we have completed to bring Viktor Gyokeres 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. Welcome, Viktor!”

Arteta added: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Viktor Gyokeres 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.

“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 transfer news: Gabriel Jesus exit?
The arrival of Gyokeres – who has added, “I always want to score. To be a part of this club and to score in this kit and with this badge in front of all the supporters, I can’t wait. It will be an amazing feeling” – will have repercussions for Arsenal’s existing attackers.

A likely casualty is Gabriel Jesus, who will be pushed down the pecking order and potentially become up for grabs.

In fact, a report in his native Brazil on Saturday has revealed which club are already pushing to sign him and he’s willing to join.

Meanwhile, William Saliba’s response to alleged contact from Real Madrid has come to light.

And Gyokeres has been slammed for his supposed lack of professionalism in the build up to his Arsenal move.

But he’s just looking to the future and exclaimed: “When I played at Sporting, I scored a few goals in the Champions League so I feel that I can be on that level as well.

“Now to come here to a club on Arsenal’s level, I think it’s going to help me perform even better with all the amazing players in this team. I’m really excited to get going.”

Viktor Gyokeres: An unusual rise to the top
By Ryan Baldi

Gyokeres became one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe – but with previous spells at Brighton, St. Pauli and Coventry, he’s taken an unusual path to the top.

The Stockholm native was just 19 years old when he signed for the Seagulls after impressing with IF Brommapojkarna in the Swedish second tier and winning the Golden Boot at the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He started out in Brighton’s under-23s and made eight senior appearances in total for the club, but he never featured in a Premier League match.

Gyokeres was only mildly productive during a loan spell with St. Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga in the 2019-20 season, scoring seven goals in 28 games. And a loan with Swansea City in the Championship over the first half of the following campaign brought even less fortune for the 6ft 2ins striker, who was scoreless across 11 league outings.

It was then on to Coventry, in another loan deal, for the second half of the 2020-21 season. Although he found the net just three times in 19 appearances, the Sky Blues evidently saw enough potential in the forward to make the move permanent, agreeing a £1 million deal with Brighton.

And it proved to be money incredibly well spent. Gyokeres scored 18 goals in 47 all-competition games in his first full season with the club. He built on that performance the following season, too, bagging 22 times in 50 games, firing Mark Robins’ side into the play-offs and earning a place in the 2022-23 EFL Championship team of the Season.

Gyokeres’ superlative form with Coventry caught the eye of Sporting, who splashed a club record £16.6million (€20m, $20.26m) to sign the Swede in July 2023.

In Lisbon, Gyokeres has developed into not only a frighteningly prolific goal-scorer but also one of the most well-rounded elite forwards in Europe.

At Coventry, he’d thrived in a counter-attacking side by utilising his searing pace to attack opponents with blistering runs into the half-spaces, often driving through the inside-left position before cutting centrally to finish with his stronger right foot.

He has retained those traits in Portugal, too, while also developing his ability to find space in the penalty area with savvy, sharp movements over short distances. And, as Sporting are a more possession-based outfit than the Sky Blues were during his time in England, Gyokeres has improved his creativity and hold-up play, employing his large frame to shield the ball and feed midfield runners.

Especially when he worked under Ruben Amorim, Gyokeres has led Sporting’s efforts to regain the ball from the front by closing down defenders and intelligently jumping into passing lanes to grab interceptions and launch attacks from within the final third of the pitch.

Gyokeres finished the season with 29 goals in 33 league games, powering Sporting’s title triumph and named the Primeira Liga’s top scorer and Player of the Year, adding to six Player of the Month awards in Portugal.

It wasn’t just a flash in the pan, either, with Gyokeres not just retaining his form but exceeding it further in his second season – and even after the departure of Amorim to Manchester United.

Not affected by the chance of a summer exit passing him by, Gyokeres scored 54 goals from 52 games in 2024-25, also adding 13 assists. There was another golden boot to be added to his collection, as well as one more player of the month prize.

He is looking better value for money with each passing goal-laden week.