Gyokeres Joins Arsenal in £63.7m Deal: 'Ultra-Competitive' Striker Signs

Viktor Gyokeres' ultra-competitive nature in training will only excite Arsenal fans following the confirmation of his long-awaited transfer. The Swede officially joined the Gunners on Saturday in a £63.7million deal from Sporting CP.

The 27-year-old had been at the centre of one of the summer's biggest transfer sagas that left him failing to report back to training with the Portuguese champions , with his heart set on a move to north London.

After weeks of negotiations, with delays holding up the deal due to a lack of agreement over the structure of add-ons, a breakthrough was made this past week, with Gyokeres marking his return to England after two years away.

The striker will don the famous No. 14 for the Premier League side, following in the footsteps of club legend Thierry Henry. It was only in 2023 when Gyokeres was still a Championship player with Coventry City, but his intense drive and ambition was apparent even when plying his trade in the second division of English football.

Ben Sheaf, ex-Arsenal graduate and current Coventry midfielder, spent two-and-a-half years playing alongside Gyokeres, and he spoke glowingly about his former team-mate's desire to improve himself.

"When he came [on loan from Brighton ], he was in and out of the team and showed glimpses of quality," Sheaf told The Athletic . "He signed permanently after the first loan, and he came back having put more muscle on and was even more physical.

"He was relentless with how much he practised. He’d do a lot of finishing drills after training. I remember once in training, we did 11-v-11, and the ball got thrown into him when I was playing against him.

"He pinned and rolled me, and I just couldn’t do anything about it. That was the first time I remember thinking, 'Blimey, this is what opposition teams are going to feel.' That was the first time I felt his physicality."

Gyokeres' hyper-competitive nature would rear its head during training matches, with his desire to win resulting in arguments on the pitch. "He was always ultra-competitive in training," Sheaf admitted. "He’d throw his toys out of the pram if we didn’t win a small-sided game.

"He’s a serious guy until you get to know him and he opens up. He’s a good lad but he’d be arguing in training, always wanting to win and doing finishing drills after — absolutely t**ting balls in."

Arsenal sporting director, Andrea Berta, made reference to Gyokeres' winning attitude when discussing the deal that brought him to the Emirates Stadium. "We are so pleased with the excellent deal we have completed to bring Viktor Gyökeres to the club," Berta said.

"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.

"We are confident Viktor will have a major impact on the pitch and become an important figure in our dressing room. Welcome, Viktor!"

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