Arsenal are closing in on signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP to finally replenish Mikel Arteta’s options in attack.
The Gunners haven’t had a reliable number nine presence since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and while others have tried to fill the void, Arteta is still lacking a goalscorer.
In 2022, Arsenal signed Gabriel Jesus to bolster their centre-forward options, but the Brazilian has found the net just 18 times in the Premier League since his move.
Now, after a lengthy transfer saga, Arsenal are advancing in talks to sign Gyokeres, a player who Arteta wants to add to his squad before pre-season begins.
- READ MORE: Arsenal’s next three most likely signings after completing £51m Martin Zubimendi transfer
Ruben Amorim’s warning to Viktor Gyokeres
Since Jesus signed for Arsenal, Gyokeres has scored 119 goals, which says everything that needs to be known about the difference in finishing ability between the two forwards.
The Sporting CP star has yet to play in the Premier League, but he’s already a figure well known in the English top flight.
Gyokeres scored a hat-trick against Manchester City during the 2024/25 Champions League, being a player feared in Manchester.
At Old Trafford, the Swede is also well-known, as it was Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim who purchased the 27-year-old from Coventry City in 2023.
Amorim was reportedly eager to reconnect with Gyokeres at Manchester United, but Arsenal are set to win the race.
The manager is a huge fan of his former striker; however, not everything was rosy, as Amorim explained when speaking to the media in April 2024.
“With Viktor, I do the same as with the other players, I give him some tips in informal conversations,” Amorim began.
“What I think he needs to do is enjoy the moment, he’s already had a fantastic season, and he has to enjoy it. It also has to do with him.
“Everyone thinks he will always score a hat-trick and if he enjoys the game more, the ball will come to him naturally and he will continue to score goals.”
Gyokeres’ former coach called on his striker to enjoy the simplicities of football, taking the pressure away from him to maintain his rich form in the final third.
That being said, it’s good to know that Gyokeres is, in fact, human, feeling the pressure beneath his robot-like scoring form.
Gyokeres mustn’t overthink pressure in the Premier League
There is one element of Amorim’s feedback for Gyokeres that could alert some at Arsenal, as there’s no league that has higher, and sometimes crueller, expectations than the Premier League.
The English top-flight is unforgiving, as many who have come and gone will tell you.
Naturally, Gyokeres will be expected to bring goals to Arsenal, as any player who has netted 97 goals in the previous two seasons would.
The pressure will be high from the off, and hopefully, the player can thrive on such.
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