Viktor Gyokeres transfer 'confirmed' by Arsenal target's dentist as photo emerges

Viktor Gyokeres' dentist has remarkably claimed his switch to Arsenal has already been finalised following a visit from the Swedish forward.

The 27-year-old has remained a priority target for Mikel Arteta's squad throughout much of the summer, though a significant development in talks occurred earlier this week with Sporting Lisbon.

Whilst an agreement valued at £54.8million (€63.5m) plus £8.6m (€10m) between both clubs was reached, it was the arrangement of the additional payments that caused a prolonged delay spanning several weeks, despite personal terms already being settled.

As the Sweden international waits for the concluding phases of the transfer to be finalised, he has been taking a break in Spain, where he journeyed to Mallorca to visit GlobalDent Balear, a dental clinic.

Appearing in a photograph alongside two dental specialists, including Dr Maria Bel Riera, the image was later shared on the clinic's Instagram account, seemingly confirming the striker's switch to Arsenal via their caption, reports the Mirror.

The post stated: "Viktor Gyokeres, congratulations on your new professional stage; it has been a pleasure to be part of your journey, thank you for your trust." Following the anticipated official announcement of Gyokeres' transfer, he will be prevented from donning his preferred No. 9 jersey in north London, as it remains held by Gabriel Jesus.

The Swedish striker has donned the traditional forward's number since joining the Portuguese champions in 2023, and previously sported the No. 17 shirt during his two-season stint at Coventry City.

However, that number is currently occupied by Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is rumoured to be leaving the Emirates Stadium this summer. The No. 10 shirt, on the other hand, is up for grabs, with its last occupant being Emile Smith Rowe, who departed his childhood club last summer to join Premier League side Fulham.

While Gyokeres has never worn the iconic number in professional football, only at youth level, it has been graced by the likes of Paul Merson, Dennis Bergkamp, Robin van Persie and Mesut Ozil.

If he chooses a different number, the No. 14 is also available, last worn by Eddie Nketiah, who also left the Gunners last summer to join London rivals Crystal Palace. This number was made prestigious by Thierry Henry, and was also worn by Martin Keown, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alan Smith.

With an impressive record of 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting, Gyokeres will land in England with high expectations, but there are questions about whether he can replicate his goal-scoring prowess in the Premier League.

Three-time Premier League champion Jose Mourinho was asked about how the Swede might perform at Arsenal. He expressed no doubts about his quality, but acknowledged that he will face stiffer competition than he did in Portugal.

In a conversation with Portugal's Channel 11, the Fenerbahce manager said: "He's a great player. I have no doubt. But Sporting had a way of playing very much around him, very adapted. I don't know what Hugo Viana and Ruben [Amorim] initially thought; he's a player with great potential. But in England, he'll play against stronger teams, better players."

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