After a drawn-out transfer saga that captured headlines all summer, the Swedish forward is expected to land in London on Friday to finalize a £63.7 million move. ..Continue Reading
His arrival will mark the end of Arsenal’s extended search for a top-tier striker.
The 27-year-old, who netted an astonishing 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP over two seasons, had drawn interest from both Arsenal and Manchester United.
However, Gyokeres made it clear his priority was Champions League football and a chance to work under Mikel Arteta.
With the additions of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, and Cristhian Mosquera, Arsenal have been one of the most active clubs this summer.
Last season, they secured second place in the Premier League for the third year running and were knocked out in the Champions League semi-finals.
Club executives are banking on this wave of signings to finally deliver a long-awaited league title. Gyokeres has already weighed in on one of football’s most debated topics.
In 2023, he picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi during a rapid-fire interview.
He later praised Ronaldo’s influence at Sporting CP, especially after their emphatic 4–1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League.
Gyokeres said: “Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo started their careers here and achieved incredible success.
“You have to admire players like that, who were at Sporting, but I try not to compare myself to them. “I just want to be myself and give my best every day, whether in training or in games.”
Gyokeres again spoke of his admiration for Ronaldo during an interview back in December.
He also mentioned another former Man United player as someone he respected in the game.
“The players I looked up to were Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo,” said Gyokeres.
“It’s about how they performed on the pitch, they went the extra mile, which impressed me. I wanted to do similar things on the pitch.”
Ibrahimović, a fellow Swede, had an illustrious career featuring stints at elite European teams such as Juventus, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain.
In 2016, he signed with Manchester United and made an immediate impact, helping the club secure both the League Cup and the Europa League in his debut season.
However, a serious ACL injury in April 2017 hampered his performance, and he eventually transitioned to Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy.
Today, he serves as a strategic advisor at AC Milan, supporting the club’s American ownership group behind the scenes.
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