Viktor Gyokeres has revealed that his move to Arsenal was a straightforward decision, despite late interest from Manchester United. The £64 million ($85m) striker cited the Gunners' history and desire to sign him as key reasons for his choice. The Swede is now set to debut for Mikel Arteta's side in a derby clash against Tottenham on Thursday.

• Gyokeres confirms Arsenal move was an easy decision
• Man Utd made late push but failed to convince striker
• £64m signing set for derby debut against Tottenham

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal completed the signing of Gyokeres from Sporting CP earlier this month in a deal worth around £64 million. Manchester United had attempted to make a late push to hijack the transfer, but the Swedish striker had no plans to move to Old Trafford. The 27-year-old has now revealed that his heart was always set on a move to Arsenal despite the rival interest in him.

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  WHAT GYOKERES SAID

  Speaking to the media, Gyokeres said: "Of course, there were other clubs as well. But I didn’t feel it was a difficult choice for me."

  Talking about his drawn-out transfer saga, the Swede added: "It's been a new experience. I haven’t really been in that situation before. It’s been a lot of waiting from my side. I wanted to come here, but it wasn’t that easy. But I’m finally here and it feels great.

  “I tried to train as much as possible by myself and keep the day going. A lot of days were the same kind of routine: I woke up, trained, had dinner, and then went to bed again. It was like that for a few weeks — but it was worth it, for sure.

  "I felt that they wanted me here. But also because it’s a very big club with a lot of history. I just felt that I really wanted to come here and be a part of this club."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arteta has long wanted a traditional No.9, and Gyokeres could be the final piece in Arsenal’s attack. The Swede scored 54 goals in all competitions for Sporting last season, making him one of Europe’s most in-demand strikers. Arsenal will hope his arrival can help end their five-year wait for a major trophy.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GYOKERES?

  Gyokeres is expected to make his Arsenal debut on Thursday against Tottenham in a north London derby clash in Hong Kong. Arteta will likely use the fixture to assess how quickly the Swede can adapt to his system. If all goes well, Gyokeres will be the Gunners’ main striker heading into the new Premier League season.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News