Viktor Gyokeres makes promise to Arsenal fans in new eight-word message after transfer

Viktor Gyokeres has promised Arsenal fans that their patience during the summer transfer window will be worth it. Gyokeres finally completed his £63.7million transfer to the Gunners on Saturday after painstaking negotiations with Sporting Lisbon dragged on for weeks.

The Swedish striker ended up going on strike and preparing a legal letter amid fractious relations with Sporting president Frederico Varandas. Sporting drove a hard bargain in talks with Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta, but the deal eventually got over the line.

Gyokeres flew out to Singapore to join Mikel Arteta and his squad on their pre-season tour and met his new team-mates before their win over Newcastle on Sunday. He could make his Arsenal debut in a match against Tottenham in Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong on Thursday and is raring to go.

Arsenal supporters have been desperate to sign a centre-forward for a long time, having finished second in the Premier League for three successive campaigns. Gyokeres scored a ludicrous 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting across all competitions and isn’t lacking in confidence.

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“The longer the wait the better the taste,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of him doing his mask celebration. The 27-year-old’s first words after signing show what his main focus is. “I always want to score,” he said.

“To be a part of this club and to score in this kit and with this badge in front of all the supporters, I can't wait. It will be an amazing feeling. I started here [in England], it feels like a long time ago. I think I've improved a lot since then. Now I want to prove myself for real and perform together with the team.

“It's a big honour to play for your country, and then to score goals for them is amazing. When I played at Sporting, I scored a few goals in the Champions League so I feel that I can be on that level as well. Now to come here to a club on Arsenal's level, I think it's going to help me perform even better with all the amazing players in this team. I'm really excited to get going.”

Arteta is delighted to have got his man. “The consistency he has shown in his performances and availability have been outstanding, and his goal contributions speak for themselves,” the Arsenal manager said.

“Viktor has so many qualities. He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels. He brings a clinical edge with a high conversion rate of chances into goals, with his intelligent movement in the box making him a constant threat. We’re excited about what Viktor brings to our squad and are looking forward to start working with him.”

Meanwhile, William Saliba is simply happy to be on his team, rather than against him. He said: “We know how good he is, it’s scary to play against him. Of course, I’m so happy to have him in my club, and I’m sure that he will help us to win games and win trophies.”

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