Arsenal have completed the signing of highly sought-after striker Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP, the club officially announced on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Sweden international joins the Gunners on a five-year contract, in a deal worth an initial £55 million (€63m), which could rise to £63.5 million (€73.5m) with performance-related add-ons.
The transfer concludes a lengthy pursuit for manager Mikel Arteta, who has been determined to add an elite centre-forward to his squad after finishing as Premier League runners-up for three consecutive seasons.
“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Viktor Gyökeres to the club,” Arteta said in a statement. “The consistency he has shown in his performances and availability have been outstanding, and his goal contributions speak for themselves. He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels.”
Gyökeres arrives with a formidable reputation, having scored an incredible 97 goals in 102 appearances during two trophy-laden seasons in Portugal, where he won back-to-back league titles with Sporting. Last season alone, he netted 54 goals in 52 games across all competitions.
The signing is a major boost for Arsenal, who are currently on their pre-season tour of Asia. The club has stated that Gyökeres will “immediately” link up with his new teammates in Singapore. He could be in line to make his first appearance in Thursday’s friendly against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.
Gyökeres is Arsenal’s sixth major signing of a busy summer, following the arrivals of Cristhian Mosquera, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Nørgaard, and Noni Madueke.
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