Why £64m Viktor Gyokeres must be ‘deluded’ in search of 30-goal season - with Arsenal new boy urged to ‘aim for the sky’

The prolific Swedish striker found the target on 97 occasions through 102 appearances for his previous club, Sporting. He broke the 50-goal barrier last season, with those exploits bringing him to the attention of heavyweight sides across Europe.

Arsenal have eventually won the race for Gyokeres’ signature, with a protracted saga seeing a switch to the Emirates Stadium finally signed off. The 27-year-old has linked up with Mikel Arteta’s squad during a pre-season tour of the Far East.

The Gunners are confident that they have found the fearsome No.9 required to compete for the Premier League title. Gyokeres is untested in the English top-flight, but has been advised to have unwavering belief in his own ability.

Former Arsenal frontman Paul Dickov has told WDW Bingo: “Over the past few seasons, Arsenal have always been linked with a new striker but never secured one for whatever reason. You’d imagine it’s because they haven’t found the right player, and generally speaking, I believe there is a real shortage of top-quality strikers in football at the moment.

“They’ve been very patient, but Gyokeres is over the line now, and he looks to be a special talent. His goals-to-game ratio has been fantastic in Portugal, and he has looked great in Europe as well. He has had a taste of English football in the past, albeit in the Championship, but it means he may not need as much time to adapt to England. He’s a top player, and I am really looking forward to seeing what he has to offer. I hope he settles in quickly and gets a few goals early on in the season.

“Gyokeres has to aim for the sky. I was deluded when I was a striker, and he should be the exact same way. You must believe you can score 20-plus goals every season in whatever league you are playing in, but that never quite worked out for me, but it can for Gyokeres. He has shown in the past that he is capable of scoring regularly, and I expect him to score between 20 and 30 goals next season. I’m sure he will have his own target in mind already, even before signing for the club. The fans will have these expectations as well.”

Gyokeres will have a number of goals that he wants to hit across his debut campaign in north London. If that figure ends up being 20-plus, then Arsenal will fancy their chances of challenging for major honours at home and abroad.