Viktor Gyökeres is nearly a done deal with a high-profile move heading to the British capital where Arsenal FC will be his next destination, as per reports stating that the Swedish striker will be the one to wear the club’s famous No. 14 shirt. The number, which was closest to the heart of the fans when Thierry Henry was at the club, immediately makes one think of the soaring expectations that this 26-year-old will have to face.
The transfer talks between Arsenal and Sporting CP have been going back and forth for several weeks, and the president of Sporting, Frederico Varandas, has been airing his grievances in public all along. A lot of the deadlock was due to disagreements about how the money from the extras would be divided, although the personal terms were settled at the very beginning of the process. It is estimated that the last agreement sets Arsenal to pay €63.5 million (£55.2m) initially plus €10 million in bonuses that can be reached.
Gyökeres is expected to undergo his medical on Saturday, as Arsenal look to finalize the deal in time for their Premier League opener.
Thierry Henry wore the No. 14 shirt when he became Arsenal’s all-time top goal scorer and the bastion of their trophy-winning era, so that number is far from being a simple shirt to wear. While the likes of Theo Walcott, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Eddie Nketiah have all had their chances and none have quite been able to fill that void, Arsenal may well consider that Gyökeres is the long-awaited striker to