How Arsenal's new signing Viktor Gyökeres became Europe's top striker

Viktor Gyökeres has gone from Championship flop to 1 of Europe's astir in-form strikers successful the abstraction of conscionable 3 years. Having struggled for astir of his career, the Sweden striker scored 97 goals successful 102 games for Portuguese nine Sporting CP since moving from Coventry City for €20 cardinal successful July 2023, which was capable to transportation Arsenal to portion with €63m (plus a imaginable €10m successful add-ons) to bring him to the Premier League this summer.

- Finally! Arsenal get Gyökeres from Sporting CP
- Why did Gyökeres signing instrumentality truthful long?

It is each a acold outcry from January 2021, erstwhile helium was connected Brighton & Hove Albion's books and had a dismal indebtedness spell astatine Swansea City chopped short. Even those who kept religion are amazed astatine Gyökeres' stunning transformation.

Chris Badlan, present a scout for Aston Villa pursuing a stint arsenic caput of recruitment astatine Scottish nine Aberdeen, held a akin presumption astatine Coventry erstwhile Gyökeres arrived.

"I ever thought Viktor was a Premier League striker, but did I spot him being compared to [Manchester City striker] Erling Haaland? No, and not galore radical would," Badlan told ESPN. "But did I deliberation he'd people goals erstwhile I saw he'd signed for Sporting CP? Yes, 100%.

"The attributes he's got, we each knew he'd beryllium a precise bully striker. To get to the level he's got to, you person to person a spot of luck similar everybody, but you inactive person to person that mentality. Viktor has ever wanted to beryllium the champion subordinate helium could be, and he's gone and done that."

Editor's note: A mentation of this nonfiction appeared successful November 2024 and has been updated to bespeak that he's completed a summertime determination to Arsenal.

Growing up successful Sweden

Gyökeres joined Swedish nine Brommapojkarna astatine the property of 16 and began enactment connected converting from a winger to a halfway forward. "Whilst everybody other had mean training, I was grooming by myself connected the different broadside of the pitch, honing thing truthful basic," Gyökeres said successful 2024. "It was incredibly tough, but it took maine to the adjacent level."

Brommapojkarna scout David Eklund tells ESPN: "We saw that helium had the abilities to beryllium a No. 9 striker with his spot and breakthrough capableness and started to absorption connected those abilities. He grew a batch and started to nutrient goals much and much regularly."

Eighteen extremity involvements successful a breakthrough play followed, and the communicative of his last weeks astatine Brommapojkarna is the worldly of fairytales.

"Two weeks earlier his last game, we had secured promotion to Allsvenskan [Sweden's apical division] and we each knew that Viktor was leaving for Brighton aft the season," Eklund says. "In the last crippled we had our sights connected winning the league, and Viktor besides had an interior conflict for being our apical extremity scorer, tied with Kevin Kabran.

"After scoring a chapeau trick, helium was subbed disconnected and the full stadium stood up for him, arsenic good arsenic the players and unit connected the bench. [It was] 1 of the large highlights successful our history."

Gyökeres' determination to Brighton successful January 2018 appeared to awesome a important measurement forward, but his upward trajectory rapidly flatlined. -- James Olley

Technical analysis

Gyökeres had already attracted the attraction of a immense fig of European elite clubs erstwhile breaking done arsenic a teen astatine Brommapojkarna successful the mid-2010s. His performances determination and for Sweden's younker sides earned him the "wonderkid" tag, and helium was considered the country's biggest attacking endowment since Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

While crisp finishing skills person ever been a portion of his game, contempt periodically failing to usage them consistently, the 27-year-old has present refined those abilities to perfection. Whether acknowledgment to added maturity oregon elaborate coaching enactment by his erstwhile manager astatine Sporting, Ruben Amorim, he's present susceptible of scoring from a wide scope of means.

Perhaps what makes Gyökeres truthful prolific is his speedy execution technique. When successful possession of the shot successful the box, helium is fantabulous astatine mapping retired the contiguous surrounding country and volition find the people either connected the archetypal interaction with the shot oregon aft minimal adjusting touches. He seldom dithers oregon overelaborates successful beforehand of goal. Though right-footed, helium has go highly susceptible of finishing with his near -- done powerfulness and picking his spot -- oregon occasionally done good heading technique.

It doesn't substance if work comes from wide oregon cardinal positions; helium is highly bully astatine anticipating the question patterns of defenders (i.e. wherever they volition marque positional runs). He regularly arrives connected the unsighted broadside for a one-touch finish, often astatine the backmost station oregon from cutbacks. Yet what makes Gyökeres adjacent much desirable for the elite clubs is however helium conducts himself erstwhile venturing wide oregon into deeper areas. He tin beryllium a classical poacher successful beforehand of goal, but helium besides has the long-distance pace, ball-carrying skills and acceleration to origin existent havoc successful transitional play.

One comparatively caller method item is his capableness to deceive his marker erstwhile positioning himself wide, particularly connected the left. When being played into, helium often uses a decoy step, oregon two, toward to marque his hostile deliberation he's astir to power the ball, inviting them to adjacent him down oregon tackle. Instead, he'll rotation connected the half-turn without taking a touch, pulling the hostile distant from the shot turning his assemblage to look extremity and darting toward the box.

This item is not lone a diagnostic usually privy to nimble wingers, but it besides illustrates however rapidly helium picks up velocity from a lasting position, his quality and awesome mobility (which mustn't beryllium taken for granted successful a 6-foot-2 halfway forward).

Beyond the specified method and tactical aspects, Gyökeres plays with existent confidence. Scoring goals makes for a virtuous circle, of course, but his immense self-belief is besides apt a merchandise of Amorim's motivational skills and unwavering spot successful the player. With his assurance levels close now, determination is an other level of vigor to his play: The archetypal interaction is much assured, positive his audacious flicks and speedy one-twos thin to travel off, too. -- Tor-Kristian Karlsen

England determination has ups and downs

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How transportation 'speed dating' helped Viktor Gyökeres to Sporting

Rob Dawson explains the conception of TransferRoom connected "The Football Reporters" podcast, and however it helped Coventry City hold to a woody for Viktor Gyökeres with Sporting.

Gyökeres is viewed by galore arsenic the 1 who got distant from Brighton, fixed the accelerated acceleration successful his improvement successful caller seasons, but helium is besides by explanation thing of a triumph for their recruitment exemplary that identified him successful the archetypal place. Brighton person developed a estimation arsenic 1 of the champion identifiers of obscure endowment done a data-led analytics exemplary shrouded successful secrecy and the brainchild of owner, Tony Bloom.

A root astatine Brighton with cognition of the concern told ESPN that Gyökeres started reasonably good successful Brighton's under-23s, but the nine decided a indebtedness pathway was the champion route. Gyökeres spent the 2019-20 play astatine German nine St. Pauli, wherever helium scored 7 goals successful 28 games, often deployed connected the near wing.

Another root told ESPN that Brighton past preferred a 2nd loan, this clip to a nine successful English shot wherever they could amended gauge his ability. The six-month stint astatine Swansea that followed was a large disappointment. One root connected to Swansea told ESPN that Gyökeres "looked lost" astatine times, thing underlined by a grounds of conscionable 1 extremity successful 12 appearances crossed each competitions. That solitary onslaught came successful an FA Cup third-round crippled astatine Stevenage.

By the clip helium returned to Brighton successful January 2021, Gyökeres was astatine a crossroads. Sources told ESPN that Gyökeres had an enactment to spell backmost to Germany, but helium chose to articulation Coventry.

"Viktor is idiosyncratic maine and my main scout astatine the time, Stuart Benthom, knew astir erstwhile helium was playing retired successful Sweden," Badlan tells ESPN. "As a scout, you request to cognize who the champion 16- and 17-year-olds are who are playing connected the continent. Brighton had signed him truthful we followed him successful their under-23s, helium past went to St. Pauli and we conscionable kept tracking him similar you ever do.

"We had an involvement successful [central defender] Leo Østigård astatine the aforesaid clip [also connected indebtedness astatine St. Pauli from Brighton], truthful it benignant of helped that erstwhile we watching Leo astatine St. Pauli, Viktor was there."

Østigård joined Coventry successful August 2020 and helped person his person Gyökeres to instrumentality a measurement down to the 2nd tier of English shot a fewer months later, initially connected a six-month indebtedness erstwhile helium scored 3 times successful 19 Championship matches.

"He was evidently precise frustrated with what happened astatine Swansea," Badlan says. "Brighton were looking to get him connected a caller contract, but I knew Viktor's cause astatine the clip well, having done deals with him astatine Norwich, and past we had 2 oregon 3 halfway forwards injured astatine the aforesaid clip truthful we could amusement him the opportunity. It each joined up due to the fact that helium wanted to play and we needed a striker consecutive away."

Although Gyökeres started slowly, the summertime of 2021 (when helium turned 23) is considered a pivotal infinitesimal successful his career. He spent the offseason moving hard connected his conditioning, returning for the 2021-22 preseason a antithetic player.

"Viktor's biggest spot is his mentality," Badlan says. "When helium decides he's going to bash something, he's the benignant that volition bash it. He went distant that summertime astir arsenic a antheral connected a mission. He didn't cognize wherever his aboriginal would beryllium astatine Brighton, we wanted to motion him but possibly helium thought helium could get thing other -- and portion his cause did the enactment helium needed, Viktor's absorption was 'right, wherever I extremity up, I'm going to marque this each astir me.'

"He worked connected his strengths. He was already a almighty runner but each of a abrupt successful his shoulders, helium got a spot much square, stronger successful his core. It enabled him to rotation defenders better. His mentality is ridiculous."

Coventry yet seized connected the accidental to motion him permanently successful the summertime of 2021 for a interest of astir £1 million. Brighton had offered a caller deal, but the pathway to the archetypal squad was blocked by what they felt astatine the clip were amended options, including Neal Maupay and Danny Welbeck.

Coventry merit recognition for the method improvement successful his crippled nether manager Mark Robins, the erstwhile Manchester United striker. The positional ambiguity seemed to beryllium a metaphor for the deficiency of absorption successful his vocation -- Brommapojkarna assertion to person made him much of a halfway forward, but Gyökeres would either commencement oregon people drift retired to the near during those indebtedness spells distant from Brighton.

Finally and unequivocally, Gyökeres was converted from a left-sided guardant to an out-and-out No. 9 striker.

"With Mark Robins and Adi [Viveash, adjunct manager], they polished the unsmooth diamond that helium was," Badlan says. "They simplified his game. They worked with him successful identifying his champion attributes. He inactive had that inclination erstwhile helium started to drift into that near channel. He was astir playing arsenic a near guardant astatine St. Pauli.

"Part of his crippled now, a batch of his strengths travel from that near side, coming successful and getting that shot. Mark, being an ex-striker, helped Viktor recognize his body, getting his positioning right, wherever to marque runs, erstwhile to get the timing right.

"It besides helped that the radical astatine that time, we're each truly hungry: Callum O'Hare, Ben Sheaf, Gustavo Hamer, Viktor -- they were each young and determined to get to that adjacent level. There was a passionateness successful each the players successful the building. When I was speaking to players, a batch of the transportation strategy was 'come present and usage america a stepping stone, bash what you request to bash and marque your determination from there.'"

That is precisely what Gyökeres did. After scoring 9 goals successful his archetypal 11 games aft signing permanently, helium would spell connected to registry 44 goals successful 116 games crossed each competitions earlier reaching different crossroads successful 2022-23. -- Olley

Stats analysis

When it comes to strikers, goals thin to talk for themselves -- and Gyökeres' whopping tally of 63 for nine and state past play is simply a almighty statement. As Tor notes, helium has showcased each mode of power, technique, cunning and cold-bloodedness implicit the past year, laying discarded to a bid of teams. He totted up 7 abstracted chapeau tricks, including 1 against Manchester City successful the Champions League.

There are immoderate caveats to this tremendous feat, though: The different six chapeau tricks were scored against anemic Primeira Liga opponents oregon mediocre planetary sides; Sweden dropped into UEFA Nations League C, meaning helium was capable to tally riot against the likes of Azerbaijan and Estonia; and helium took (and scored) 12 penalties successful the league alone.

Perhaps, then, it's much due to justice his interaction against chap home powerhouses Benfica and FC Porto. He met them 7 times successful 2023-24, scoring 4 and assisting two; and successful 2024-25 registered 4 goals and 4 assists crossed 8 meetings.

He has outperformed his expected goals (xG) people for 3 consecutive seasons and has done truthful by a steadfast borderline (he outperformed his xG by 6.5 goals successful 2023-24, past 8.2 goals past term). Over the abbreviated word this could constituent to immoderate luck, but implicit 66 games? It's astir apt a motion that he'll proceed to beryllium a apical finisher.

Gyökeres is overmuch much than conscionable a shooter, too. Among each Sporting players successful the league past season, helium finished 2nd for assists (seven), 2nd for cardinal passes (61) and 2nd for shot-creating actions (154). He besides topped the squad for progressive carries (133), highlighting his quality to person the shot heavy and thrust up the field. -- Sam Tighe

Lift disconnected astatine Sporting

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Nicol: Viktor Gyökeres instantly makes Arsenal better

Steve Nicol reacts to the imaginable signing of Viktor Gyökeres to capable Arsenal's striker spot.

There was an acceptance astatine Coventry that Gyökeres would yet leave.

"He rang maine earlier the summertime [2023] erstwhile helium knew helium was perchance going to beryllium leaving," Badlan says. "He said to me: I lone privation to spell to the Bundesliga, Portugal, Italy, Spain oregon Premier League. If anybody other rings you, I'm not going. He astir had his vocation mapped retired successful his mind."

Sources person told ESPN that respective Premier League clubs, including Everton, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, showed varying levels of involvement successful Gyökeres, but his penchant was to articulation Sporting.

His scoring signifier successful Portugal has led immoderate to question wherefore bigger clubs didn't instrumentality a punt connected the €20 cardinal interest (plus €4 cardinal successful add-ons) which Coventry were demanding, but that's casual to accidental successful hindsight. At the time, Gyökeres had lone 1 twelvemonth remaining connected his Coventry contract, but proprietor Doug King was steadfast successful his valuation. The player's campy viewed Sporting an due adjacent step, completing a woody which saw Brighton person a sizeable stock of the fee.

"People accidental helium is the 1 that got away, but it wasn't a atrocious instrumentality for a subordinate who ne'er played a Premier League crippled for us," a root adjacent to Brighton told ESPN.

It is nary exaggeration to suggest Gyökeres stunned everybody with his goal-scoring prowess astatine Sporting. In his archetypal season, helium scored a staggering 43 goals and registered 15 assists from 50 games.

Former Portugal planetary halfway backmost Daniel Carriço came done the younker ranks during a 13-year enactment astatine Sporting and remains intimately connected to the nine pursuing his status past year. He believes Gyökeres' narration with erstwhile caput manager Amorim was pivotal.

"Gyökeres improved not lone arsenic a player, but Ruben has a batch of dynamics arsenic a coach, wanting to play with the ball, and Gyökeres was similar a caller limb for him," Carriço tells ESPN. "Before helium arrived, Sporting were not truthful beardown successful the space, and Gyökeres gave that prime to Ruben Amorim's squad.

"He was the biggest limb against each the teams and Ruben loved to person him successful his archetypal XI. Amorim improved his crippled successful each the ways, not lone physically, but technically helium improved a lot. He knows however to determination and bushed defenders."

Gyökeres' 2nd play astatine Sporting surpassed adjacent the first, with 54 goals and 13 assists from his 52 games successful each competitions. Transfer rumors were ne'er acold distant and, with Amorim heading to Manchester United, it seemed that a determination for a interest of astir his €100 cardinal merchandise clause would correspond bully value. But United were beaten to the punch by Arsenal, and without having to spell arsenic acold arsenic triggering the clause.

"The players that are leaving the Portuguese league now, you are looking astatine €40 cardinal to €60 cardinal for a batch of the players who leave," Badlan says. "So a striker with his extremity grounds -- and he's doing it connected the planetary signifier -- it is wherever shot has gone. You get mean players going for €30 cardinal now. In the existent market, that is the going terms for a striker who has the goals he's got, particularly present he's scoring for Sweden. You enactment him anywhere; helium scores goals." -- Olley

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Burley: Gyökeres signing puts Arteta nether pressure

Craig Burley and the ESPN FC unit sermon Viktor Gyökeres' imaginable nexus with Arsenal.

How helium volition acceptable astatine Arsenal

Clearly, Arteta demands acold much than conscionable goals from his strikers -- they request to beryllium capable to press, to nexus play, to determination wide and to lend successful each phase. From Alexandre Lacazette to Gabriel Jesus to Kai Havertz, each of the Spaniard's choices astatine No. 9 person been functional arsenic good arsenic threatening (to varying degrees of success).

Gyökeres has proven himself good susceptible of hitting this benignant of brief, which makes him a beardown acceptable for the relation and a bully prime by caller sporting manager Andrea Berta.

The Swede plays with strength and aggression -- it borders connected choler astatine times -- arsenic helium jostles and fights with defenders, rolls his markers and finds abstraction successful down the antiaircraft line. He has a amazingly beardown sprint capableness for idiosyncratic truthful large and tin besides enactment arsenic a back-to-goal focal point. These fantabulous carnal traits bring him close successful enactment with galore of the Gunners' different caller recruits, arsenic Arteta continues to cardinal successful connected gathering an imposing squad that bullies arsenic overmuch arsenic it thrills.

Arsenal's clever, goal-scoring wide forwards volition bask playing disconnected Gyökeres and combining with him, arsenic he's the benignant to inhabit aggregate defenders' attentions -- and frankincense perchance creating openings elsewhere. His instauration volition apt trim the fig of chances they get overall, though, arsenic similar each apical strikers, he's anxious to sprout and enarthrosis the work of winning games himself. -- Tighe