Arsenal complete signing of striker Viktor Gyokeres for £55m

Arsenal have finally solved their striker conundrum by completing the £55million signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon.

The 27-year-old Sweden international, who fired Sporting to the title last season with 39 goals and netted a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City, is understood to have signed a five-year deal at the Emirates.

Gyokeres’ transfer, which could end up costing the north London club as much as £64m with performance-related add-ons, takes Arsenal’s close-season spending to the region of £200m.

He becomes Mikel Arteta’s sixth summer signing and follows defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Norgaard (£10m) and forward Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in moving to the Emirates.

Gyokeres, who was in the Sporting team beaten 5-1 by Arsenal last season, told the club’s website: “I just felt that it was the right club for me, (from) what I heard from Mikel and (sporting director) Andrea (Berta) when I was speaking with them, and just what I’ve seen in the past years, how they’ve been playing football.

“When I was playing against Arsenal last season, I could really feel it was a very strong team and very difficult to play against.

“That made me choose Arsenal, and of course all the history the club has and the massive fanbase.”

Gyokeres will be expected to meet up with his new team-mates in Arsenal’s ongoing pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong.

The Gunners face Newcastle in the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday ahead of the concluding game of their tour, against Tottenham in Hong Kong on July 31.

“We’re excited about what Viktor brings to our squad and are looking forward to start working with him.”

Gyokeres moved to Brighton from Swedish side Brommapojkarna in January 2018, but spent time on loan at St Pauli and then Swansea and Coventry, before making a permanent move to the Sky Blues in July 2021.

After Coventry were beaten on penalties by Luton in the 2023 Sky Bet Championship final at Wembley, Gyokeres completed a £20.5m switch to Sporting. He scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 matches for the Portuguese side.

Arsenal spent the concluding months of last season without a recognised striker following long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

Even before then, Arsenal were in desperate need of a reliable scorer, and Arteta will hope his new signing can fire him to his first silverware since he won the FA Cup in 2020, and end the club’s two-decade wait for a Premier League title.

Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly have also signed contracts during a busy off-season, with a long-term extension for teenager Ethan Nwaneri believed to be all-but completed.