Viktor Gyokeres shares emotional Sporting farewell message after Arsenal announcement
Viktor Gyokeres has sent a lengthy message to former club Sporting Lisbon after his transfer to Arsenal was confirmed.
The 27-year-old has been a key target for Arsenal this summer and after months of negotiations the Gunners secured the striker for a fee worth £63million.
Gyokeres becomes Arsenal’s sixth signing of the summer and Mikel Arteta’s second attacking addition of the window following the recent arrival of Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.
The Swedish international will join up with the Gunners on their pre-season tour of Asia, where they have already beaten Italian giants AC Milan 1-0.
Arsenal beat Man United amid Gyokeres farewell
Gyokeres moved to Sporting in 2023 after spells in English football with Brighton, Swansea and Coventry City.
In Portugal, Gyokeres had a remarkable goal scoring record and former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim wanted to reunite with the striker at Manchester United.
| Appearances | 102 |
| Goals | 97 |
| Assists | 28 |
Taking to Instagram, Gyokeres posted a video and shared a heartfelt message to Sporting supporters thanking the club for the past two years and the memories that they made together.
The Swede won back-to-back Primeira Liga titles and the Taca de Portugal during his time at the club.
Arsenal catch title rivals in key area
Football Insider Verdict
Mikel Arteta has finally landed one of his top summer targets and Arsenal supporters now have the striker they have desired.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a successful spell at Sporting following his impressive time at Coventry, but playing in the Premier League will prove how good a striker Gyokeres really is.
The Portuguese league is not considered one of the top five league’s in Europe, but his performances in the Champions League, which included a hat-trick against Manchester City last season, will have caught the eye of Arteta.
Gyokeres’ ruthless finishing is exactly what Arsenal are after, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus both unable to reach over 20 goals a season, and their injury issues also scuppered the Gunners’ title hopes last campaign.
Compared to their title rivals, Arsenal are behind in that area of the pitch and Arteta will hope Gyokeres can fill that void.
Signing the striker before the season starts is also a boost to Arteta as the Gunners face tough trips to Man United and reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in their first three games.