Viktor Gyokeres is not a 'better version of Erling Haaland' - but Sporting CP sensation can make Arsenal champions again

Gyokeres has been linked with a host of top clubs across Europe, including PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, the Sweden international is "prioritising" a switch to Arsenal, and has already agreed to personal terms on a five-year contract with the north London side.

Arsenal are now working to finalise a fee with Sporting, who are said to be demanding at least £70 million ($95m) for their prized asset. It's been an ugly saga up to this point, with Sporting accusing Gyokeres' agent of "blackmail" and the player himself reportedly going on strike to force an exit, but it appears that the Portuguese champions will no longer stand in his way.

"I believe he could leave, unless he has the worst agent in the world, which I find hard to believe, because he is one of the best footballers in the world," Sporting president Frederico Varandas admitted to A Bola last week. All the signs point to Gyokeres getting his wish soon, but just how accurate is the final part of that statement from Varandas?

Looking purely at the numbers, you'd have to say very. Gyokeres scored 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions last term as Sporting won a league and cup double, and he has 97 strikes to his name in total since moving to the Jose Alvalade Stadium from Coventry City in 2023. That's a staggering output, made all the more impressive by the fact Gyokeres has looked just as good on the European stage as he has domestically.

Indeed, Gyokeres notched six goals in eight Champions League games for Sporting as they qualified for the knockout play-off rounds in the newly expanded format. Three of those came in a stunning 4-1 home win over Manchester City, which saw Gyokeres completely outshine a certain Erling Haaland in the battle of the Scandinavian frontmen.

It was a remarkable performance as Gyokeres lived up to the huge pre-match billing he was given by former Real Madrid and Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. "It sounds a bit crazy, but I think he’s a bit of a better version of Haaland," Van der Vaart told Ziggo Sport. "Haaland is, of course, incredible, but Gyokeres has a bit more."

Van der Vaart was backed up by Dutch icon Marco van Basten, who added: "He’s a real footballer, I think. A real footballing striker. Strong, scores easily, and is calm in front of goal. He is also able to pass the 'keeper, I think he’s a really good striker. I can enjoy him."

Sporting might have gone further in the Champions League had a thigh injury not limited Gyokeres to a substitute appearance in the first leg of their tie with Borussia Dortmund, which they lost 3-0 in Lisbon, before he was rested completely for the 0-0 draw in the second leg at Signal Iduna Park. That being said, Van der Vaart was guilty of exaggerating.

There is no better striker in the modern game than Haaland, and his record at the very highest level proves that. Any Arsenal supporter expecting Gyokeres to match or better the Norwegian's prolific strike-rate over the past three seasons will almost certainly be disappointed, but Van der Vaart was right when suggesting he has more strings to his bow.

Arsenal are not just signing a pure goal-scorer; Gyokeres is a dynamic centre-forward who will help to create chances as well as finish them. The former Coventry star is also the ideal fit for Arteta's pressing game as a relentless runner who loves to get stuck in and uses his impressive athleticism to unsettle defenders.

Gyokeres will have no issue adjusting to the physical demands of the Premier League, and his direct style of play can add a new dimension to Arsenal's attack. Odegaard and Saka will benefit the most from Gyokeres' arrival because of his intelligent movement in the final third, which will significantly increase their respective assist potential.

It's very rare to see Gyokeres dropping deep and trying to link play; he tends to either sit on the shoulder of the last defender and look to steal in behind, or attempt to draw his marker out wide and drive into space himself after receiving the ball. His timing his excellent, and he's very difficult to stop when he cuts inside on his lethal right foot.

The opposition cannot rest for even a moment when the explosive Swede is prowling. Gyokeres made 85 sprints beyond the defensive line last season, which was by far the most of any other frontman in the Liga Portugal, and 24 more than Nicolas Jackson's Premier League-leading total with Chelsea - as per The Athletic.

The only real question mark next to Gyokeres is whether he can handle the step up in quality when swapping the Liga Portugal for the Premier League. His exploits in Europe bode well, but only a very small percentage of centre-forwards deliver consistently in the English top-flight.

It remains to be seen if Gyokeres can be as effective with less space to operate in, and he will have to dramatically improve in the air to make the most of Arsenal's increased focus on set-pieces, having failed to score a single headed league goal for Sporting in 2024-25. But there is no doubt that Gyokeres is ready for the challenge.

Described as a "game-changer" by current Sporting boss Rui Borges, Gyokeres can give Arsenal the clinical edge they've lacked for so long. Too often last season, Arsenal wasted chances to hurt teams on the transition by overplaying, which is why they drew 14 Premier League games - more than any other team in the top 11.

Gyokeres' presence will allow them to break far quicker because he will always provide an out ball and bust a gut to stretch defences. In the box, meanwhile, the Sporting star possesses razor-sharp instincts. He only needs a small sight of goal to make a decisive impact, having mastered the art of shifting the ball away from defenders and finding the corners of the net, boasting immaculate technique with both feet.

Gyokeres' only previous opportunity with a Premier League club was at Brighton, but it came too soon. He only made eight senior appearances for the Seagulls after his 2018 move from Brommapojkarna, none of which came in the top-flight, and was largely unable to impress during loan spells at St Pauli, Swansea and Coventry.

But then-Coventry boss Mark Robins recognised Gyokeres' potential, and signed him outright ahead of the 2021-22 season. "Viktor is a talented striker," Robins said after Coventry's £1m capture of the Brighton outcast. "He showed a terrific attitude when he was with us on loan. He grew in confidence, and we hope that he will continue to show the same improvement and desire."

Gyokeres repaid Robins' faith by racking up a combined total of 46 goals and assists across his next two full seasons in the Championship. Coventry came within one game of reaching the Premier League and FA Cup final with Gyokeres spearheading their charge, which convinced Sporting to fork out a club record fee of £17m for his services.

Brighton were never convinced that Gyokeres had the physicality to make it to the top, but he put on some serious muscle at Coventry and became one of the most fearsome frontmen in the country. That will be equally as important to Arsenal as his record at Sporting, if not more so.

The Gunners have also been strongly linked with RB Leipzig's talented young striker Benjamin Sesko, but they're taking a more calculated risk by opting for Gyokeres, who has already proven himself in English football and is now smack bang in the middle of his prime, both physically and mentally.

The second half of Gyokeres' career promises to be far better than the first because he is full of ambition. That much was evident when he all-but-admitted he would have considered leaving Sporting after his 43-game debut season in an interview with Sport Bladet: "You want to play at the highest level. The €100m exit clause was probably a bit too much because nothing came of it. Nothing happened and it feels like I had a pretty good season. That’s probably why there was simply no move. But that’s what Sporting thinks I’m worth, and then you have to respect that. Of course, you aim to test other leagues and a higher level, but I have no stress."

A year on, Sporting are set to accept a reduced fee for Gyokeres to honour a gentleman's agreement with the striker, which makes this a huge coup for Arsenal, as Gyokeres is worth £100m amid a surplus of expert marksmen in today's market.

There is no reason to believe Gyokeres won't be an instant hit at the Emirates, either. Premier League fans can expect to see the Swedish star's signature celebration, which sees him interlocking his hands over his mouth to mimic a mask, throughout the 2025-26 season.

Gyokeres appeared to reveal the true meaning behind it back in November, posting a compilation of his goals on Instagram with the caption, "Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask," referencing the iconic line uttered by the terrifying supervillain Bane in 'The Dark Knight Rises'. He will certainly strike fear into the hearts of Arsenal's rivals, and perhaps provide the power and precision to finally turn Arteta's pretenders into champions.