Arsenal clinches long-awaited deal for Gyokeres
Arsenal has completed the long-awaited signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP, with the deal reportedly worth around £63.5 million ($130 million) including add-ons.
Arsenal has been keen to bolster its attacking options after three consecutive second-placed finishes in the Premier League, with Gyokeres reported to have been on its wishlist.
The Gunners were also linked with RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, but Gyokeres emerged as their primary target soon after the end of 2024-2025.
It was reported that a deal was in place for the Sweden international to move to north London last week, but the switch was delayed as Sporting and Arsenal negotiated the terms of the add-ons in the deal.
But that impasse has been overcome, with Gyokeres signing a reported five-year contract.
"I always want to score," Gyokeres said. "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.
"I started here [in England]. It feels like a long time ago. I think I've improved a lot since then. Now I want to prove myself for real and perform together with the team.
"It's a big honour to play for your country, and then to score goals for them is amazing. 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."
Gyokeres was part of the Sporting team that lost 5-1 to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League group stage last season, and the Sweden international revealed the result swayed him towards a move to north London.
"When I was playing against Arsenal last season, I could really feel it was a very strong team and very difficult to play against," he said.
"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.
"You were very solid defensively. It was hard to create chances. You were very good on set-pieces as well, and very effective in front of goal; you scored five goals.
"I think that the team was very good, both going forward and defensively as well. It was a tough game.
"It's going to be fun. I think there's going to be some good training sessions, hopefully, and it's a great way to improve."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: "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."
Gyokeres scored 68 goals in two seasons in the Primeira Liga, the most of any player in Europe's top 10 leagues since his move to Portugal from Coventry City in 2023.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, with 62 Bundesliga goals, is second on that list.
He netted 29 times in his debut campaign, then scored 39 times in just 33 league outings in 2024-2025, helping Sporting win irs 21st top-flight title despite the mid-season departure of head coach Ruben Amorim to Manchester United.
Those 39 goals made Gyokeres the leading scorer in Europe's top 10 leagues in 2024-2025, with his tally eight more than next-best Kylian Mbappe.
Even when taking out Gyokeres’s 12 penalty goals, the Swede (27) still netted three more non-penalty league goals than any other player in Europe’s top 10 divisions – Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski were tied for second on 24 each.
Gyokeres also netted six times in eight UEFA Champions League appearances last season, including a hat-trick in a stunning 4-1 group-stage win over Manchester City.
That made him just the second Swedish player to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.
He was also the first player to do so for Sporting since Antonio Oliveira against Dinamo Zagreb in the European Cup, in 1982.
The 27-year-old also registered one assist in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing Nani – six in 2014-2015 – for the most goal involvements by a Sporting player in a single campaign.
Gyokeres was also on the scoresheet in the final of the Taca de Portugal, as Sporting beat Benfica in extra-time to seal a domestic double.
Gyokeres is the sixth player to join Arsenal during the current transfer window, after Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera, and will wear the number 14 shirt for the club.
