Rio Ferdinand has already explained his big Viktor Gyokeres concern as striker nears Arsenal move

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Arsenal are now closing in on the signing of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres to solve Mikel Arteta’s striker conundrum.

Since leaving English football in 2023, Viktor Gyokeres has scored 97 goals in 102 games in Portugal.

During that time, only the likes of Erling Haaland have been able to get anywhere near that ratio playing in England.

And if Gyokeres does sign for Arsenal, the striker will immediately be judged on his ability to translate his scoring to the Premier League, which will be no easy task.

At 27 years old, the Swede would represent a ‘win-now’ signing for the Gunners, one they’ve not often made during the Mikel Arteta era, at least at that level of expense.

Rio Ferdinand said Viktor Gyokeres has a lot to prove in the Premier League

That being said, Gyokeres has been linked with a move back to England for a while now — it’s not just Arsenal who have been considering a move.

Manchester United have also shown interest in Gyokeres, who has a strong link to their current manager Ruben Amorim.

Gyokeres scored an extraordinary amount of goals playing under Amorim in the Portugal Liga as explained.

However, when speaking in last November on TNT Sports, following Gyokeres efforts against Arsenal in the Champions League, former United defender Rio Ferdinand confessed his doubts over the striker were he to move back to England in a big-money move.

Much like other critics, Ferdinand was concerned about Gyokeres’ ability to continue his scoring in the Premier League, which was a significant step up.

Ferdinand said: “With all due respect to the Portuguese championship, it is a very good league, but it is not top.

“If he signs for a Premier League team, he will have to prove who he is. You have to come back and say ‘this is who I am’.”

Summarising his thoughts, Ferdinand simply added, “He hasn’t had success in a top league yet.”

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Declan Rice’s progress has proved why Viktor Gyokeres can succeed at Arsenal

Of course, Gyokeres did play in the English football pyramid for several years with the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Coventry City, which should allay some fears.

The Sweden international will at least be familiar with living in England, which will make his initial adjustment at Arsenal a lot easier.

But it is well documented by this point that Arsenal have a very different style to Sporting, meaning a lot of tweaks will be needed on the pitch.

However, as Arteta has shown with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, he is able to adapt players to fit different needs.

And regardless of whether Gyokeres has been scoring goals in Portugal or at the World Cup, he clearly has some excellent attributes that Arteta can harness.

Arsenal wouldn’t be signing Gyokeres unless Arteta was convinced that he can be a success in N5, and fans should rest assured.