Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP for £64m after they finally landed on a new striker to bring in for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners had been crying out for a new number nine for years, however, they failed to sign one, which generated a lot of criticism, especially during the 2024/25 season, when they finished second for the third time in a row, this time to Liverpool.
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During the summer window, it seemed to be a decision for Arsenal between Benjamin Sesko, and Gyokeres, but the Swedish striker ended up being the Gunners’ choice, and Mikel Arteta now has a reliable target man. But what about Gyokeres’ career before Arsenal?
Early life in Sweden before move to England
Gyokeres was born and raised in the Swedish capital Stockholm, he joined his first football team aged six in 2004, and it was local side IFK Aspudden-Tellus. He spent the majority of his younger years there during his early development, and eventually ended a nine year spell with the club before he was signed by bigger club IF Brommapojkarna.
He joined aged 14, and progressed through the youth teams at Brommapojkarna, before eventually making his senior debut for the club aged 16 in August 2015. In his debut, he scored twice in a cup game against IF Sylvia, already showing what he could do in front of goal.
The following year, Gyokeres became more of a regular, scoring seven goals, and helping Brommapojkarna to get promoted to the second tier. After two full seasons playing for the senior team, Gyokeres really showed his best in 2017. He scored 13 goals in 29 league games aged 19, and helped his side to another promotion to the Swedish top division.
After this, Gyokeres was scouted by the experts at Brighton, who paid £865,000 for him. He began training, and was thrust straight into his debut at the age of 20, playing against Southampton in an EFL Cup match in August. In his first season in England, Gyokeres made just eight appearances for Brighton’s first team, but he did impress in the Premier League 2 for the U23s, scoring 7 goals in 19 games.
Following his first year at Brighton, Gyokeres spent the next season out on loan with German club St Pauli, where he scored seven goals in 28 games. After his spell with St Pauli, Gyokeres returned to England, and spent the first half of the season on loan with Swansea in the Championship. But, after failing to score in 11 games, his loan ended, and he spent the second half of the season on loan at fellow Championship side Coventry, the place where his career kicked off.
Move to Coventry to Sporting CP legend
Following his short loan to Coventry in 2021, Gyokeres signed permanently for Coventry for a fee of just under £1m. This is where he broke out. In his first season with the Sky Blues, Gyokeres became one of the best number nines in the Championship, scoring 18 goals, and helping Coventry to a mid-table finish. However, he proved his worth at the age of 23, and the following season, showed himself to be one of the most exciting talents in world football.
In the 2022/23 season, Gyokeres made 50 appearances for Coventry, scoring 22 goals, and providing 12 assists. He helped the Sky Blues to a fifth-place finish in the Championship, and managed to get them all the way to the playoff final. However, Gyokeres and co suffered heartbreak, as they lost to Luton Town, who were promoted instead. Had Coventry earnt promotion, Gyokeres may have stayed, but instead, he joined Sporting CP for a fee of £20m.
Following his move to Sporting, Gyokeres cemented himself as one of the best goal-scorers in Europe, netting an incredible 43 goals in 50 games in his first season in Lisbon. He also had no intention of slowing down, as in 2024/25, the Swedish international managed to score 54 goals in 52 games, which is an incredible feat.
He was linked with a move to both Arsenal and Manchester United, where he could have re-united with Ruben Amorim. However, Gyokeres chose the Gunners, and was given the number 14 shirt, once worn by Thierry Henry; Now he just needs to live up to his legend.
Click here to see Arsenal’s first team squad.