During the pre-season friendly in Singapore, in which Arsenal defeated AC Milan 1-0, a curious moment occurred. At halftime, the national stadium implemented a “Hugs Camera”, inviting attendees to show affection. However, many Arsenal fans opted for a different gesture: emulating the characteristic celebration of Viktor Gyökeres, the Sporting CP striker, by putting their hands together in front of their mouths. Despite the presence of stars like Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard, Gyökeres’s name resonated on the club’s Asian tour, although he is not yet officially an Arsenal player.
The wait for Gyökeres
Rumors about Gyökeres’ arrival at Arsenal have kept fans on tenterhooks. Although an imminent agreement was speculated, the reality is that negotiations with Sporting CP have advanced significantly. The signing is expected to be finalized for an initial sum of approximately 63.5 million euros, with an additional 10 million in bonuses. Arsenal have been looking for a striker for some time. The decision not to sign another player last summer, following Benjamin Sesko’s choice to stay at RB Leipzig, was reviewed in January. The need to reinforce the attack became evident, especially after Gabriel Jesus’ injury. The club explored the possibility of signing Sesko in January, but they were informed that he would not leave the team mid-season. Gyökeres, also on the wish list, would not move before the summer either. Aston Villa approached Arsenal with a proposal to sign Ollie Watkins for 60 million pounds, but after an offer of 40 million from Arsenal, which was rejected, there were no further movements. The departure of sporting director Edu in November and the arrival of Andrea Berta in March, formerly of Atlético Madrid, also influenced the negotiations. Berta has a habit of negotiating several deals at once before closing the most favorable one. Gyökeres became a serious candidate at that time. His impressive goalscoring record in Portugal, with 97 goals in 102 matches and two league titles, strengthened his position.
The wait is about to end. There is optimism that Gyökeres can travel to Asia to participate in the tour, even if it’s just to start acclimatizing with his new teammates. It will also have an effect on the existing squad, especially Kai Havertz, who seems to have gained muscle in recent months as he tries to prove that he is a more formidable option to lead Arsenal’s attack. The focus will inevitably be on Gyökeres if he can join the team before the match against Newcastle United in Singapore or the next clash against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong. The fans have been practicing their welcome for some time.Obviously, there has been a lot of conversation this week about that. We can only focus on the players who are here. We don’t really know what’s going on. If I knew, I’d say, but I’m focusing on the players we have here. If he comes, it would be really good. At the moment, we have a very strong team. Let’s see what happens.
Declan Rice
