London, July 27: Arsenal signed Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, bringing an end to the Premier League club’s years-long search for a prolific goal-scorer.
Gyokeres completed a move from Sporting Lisbon worth a reported 63 million pounds ($85 million) and signed a five-year contract.“Viktor is an exceptional talent and has consistently demonstrated he has the qualities and winning mentality required of a top-level centre-forward. His physicality, intelligence and work ethic make him a perfect fit for our vision,” said Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta.
The 27-year-old striker joins Arsenal after establishing himself as one of the deadliest finishers in world soccer after two outstanding seasons in Portugal, where he fired Lisbon to back-to-back league titles. He hit 97 goals in 102 games, including 54 last term, outscoring the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.
A top-class striker has long-been considered the missing element for Arsenal, which was runner-up in each of the last three Premier League seasons. The failure to bring one in during the January transfer window badly undermined its attempts to challenge Liverpool for the title last term.
“The consistency he has shown in his performances and availability have been outstanding, and his goal contributions speak for themselves,” said manager Mikel Arteta. (AP)
