Arsenal have completed the signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting, for a final fee of €63m (£55m), with a further €10m to potentially be paid in add-ons (totalling £64m).
The 27-year-old has signed a five-year contract.
The purchase marks the end of an 18-month hunt for a number-nine from Arsenal, who have been insistent on signing a goalscorer for the “here and now”.
Gyokeres’ arrival also marks the end of a hard period of negotiations with Sporting, who were insistent on more achievable add-ons. At one point, the deal dragged on and stalled over a potential add-on of €5m.
Sporting’s relationship with the player’s camp ended with tension, such was Gyokeres’ desire to push for a move to Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has been struck by the Swedish international’s levels of self-motivation, which was one of many reasons the club ultimately went for Gyokeres over options such as Ollie Watkins, Goncalo Ramos and – above all – Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
The signing is an indicator of sporting director Andrea Berta’s new influence in the club, as he was a big backer of Gyokeres. Arsenal had previously put a lot of work into the 22-year-old Sesko, but Berta felt RB Leipzig’s €80m price was far too high for a forward whose primary attraction was his future ceiling.
Gyokeres is already in his prime, having scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting over the last two seasons. He has even outscored Alexander Isak for Sweden of late, hitting 12 in his last 17 appearances.
Arteta and the Arsenal analytics staff were similarly convinced, for a forward who they hope can deliver a first league title in 22 years.
