Arsenal complete £64m deal to sign striker Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting | Arsenal

Arsenal have lastly solved their striker conundrum by finishing the signing of Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting for an preliminary £55m.

The 27-year-old Sweden worldwide, who fired Sporting to the title final season with 39 objectives and struck a Champions League hat-trick in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, is known to have signed a five-year deal on the Emirates.

Gyökeres’ switch, which might find yourself costing as a lot as £64m with performance-related add-ons, takes Arsenal’s close-season spending to the area of £200m.

He turns into Mikel Arteta’s sixth summer time signing and follows defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Nørgaard (£10m) and ahead Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in shifting to north London.

Arsenal confirmed the information with a quick submit on X that learn: “That is the place it’s good to be. Viktor Gyökeres is a Gunner.”

Gyökeres might be anticipated to fulfill his new colleagues in Arsenal’s ongoing pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong. The Gunners face Newcastle within the Singapore Nationwide Stadium on Sunday earlier than the concluding sport of their tour, in opposition to Tottenham in Hong Kong on 31 July.

Supervisor Arteta mentioned: “Viktor has so many qualities. He’s a fast and highly effective presence up entrance, with unimaginable goalscoring numbers at membership and worldwide ranges. He brings a medical edge with a excessive conversion fee of possibilities into objectives, together with his clever motion within the field making him a continuing menace.

“We’re enthusiastic about what Viktor brings to our squad and are wanting ahead to begin working with him.”

Gyökeres moved to Brighton from Swedish aspect Brommapojkarna in January 2018, however frolicked on mortgage at St Pauli after which Swansea and Coventry, earlier than making a everlasting transfer to the Sky Blues in July 2021.

After Coventry have been overwhelmed on penalties by Luton within the 2023 Championship playoff last at Wembley, Gyökeres accomplished a £20.5m change to Sporting. He scored 97 objectives in 102 matches for the Portuguese aspect.

Arsenal spent the concluding months of final season with no recognised striker following long-term accidents to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. Even earlier than then, Arsenal have been in want of a dependable scorer, and Arteta will hope his new signing can fireplace him to his first silverware since he gained the FA Cup in 2020, and finish the membership’s two-decade look forward to a Premier League title.

Arsenal’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, has wasted little time in strengthening a squad which has completed runners-up within the league for the previous three seasons.

Gabriel Magalhães and Myles Lewis-Skelly have additionally put pen to paper on new contracts within the low season, with a long-term extension for teenager Ethan Nwaneri believed to be all-but accomplished.

Elsewhere, Leeds have made Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri their seventh signing of the summer time. The 27-year-old joins from Lyon in a deal value a reported £15.6m.

“It’s unimaginable. It’s a dream come true,” he mentioned. “Once I first heard that the curiosity might get one thing critical and really occur, I began to search for movies of the stadium, the ambiance, the video games, the highlights of the performs and the matches.

“It was a extremely thrilling second for me. I used to be actually, actually glad that the membership confirmed curiosity. It was unimaginable. To signal right here I’m very, very completely satisfied.”