2 weeks ago
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Viktor Gyokeres is now an Arsenal player after completing his move from Sporting CP. The centre-forward moves to the Gunners on a five-year contract, football.london understands, in a deal worth an initial €63.5million (£55million) plus €10million (£8.7million) in add-ons.
Andrea Berta has been working for around three weeks to negotiate a deal with the Portuguese club after switching attention from Benjamin Sesko, who was seen as the priority centre-forward for the summer. However, RB Leipzig's asking price far exceeded what the Gunners were willing to pay.
After several weeks of tough negotiating, the Gunners have secured the top scorer across Europe's top leagues from the last two seasons, with 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting CP. The club believes they have struck an excellent deal for the player, whose desire to join the club was consistent and strong throughout.
It was a priority position for the group, especially with Gabriel Jesus still out until the end of the year recovering from a knee injury. Even with the presence of Kai Havertz, it has long been thought that the centre-forward role is the key to unlocking the squad’s potential if the right player can be found.
The Swede had turned down many approaches from other interested parties and was headstrong in his desire to play for the Gunners. He will now join the squad in Asia as they finish their pre-season tour.
He will then return to England with his new club and the Emirates Stadium crowd will be able to see him in friendlies against Villarreal and Athletic Club. He will then face his former manager, Ruben Amorim, on the opening day of the season away at Manchester United.
In confirming the deal, 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."
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