Viktor Gyokeres explains why he picked Arsenal amid late Manchester United interest

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Evening Standard

·30 July 2025

Viktor Gyokeres explains why he picked Arsenal amid late Manchester United interest

The new £64m man only had eyes for the Gunners

New chapter: Viktor Gyokeres

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Viktor Gyokeres has confirmed it was an easy choice to join Arsenal despite failed late interest from Manchester United.

Gyokeres has joined the Gunners on a deal worth around £64million as Mikel Arteta finally lands the the out-and-out striker his squad has sorely lacked during a five-year trophy drought.

The Swede is set to make his debut on Thursday against north London rivals Tottenham, in what is the first derby of its type to be played abroad, and hopes to hit the ground running after weeks of waiting for his Arsenal move to finalise.

Speaking of the long-running transfer saga, Gyokeres said: "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.”

Hello: Viktor Gyokeres waves to Arsenal fans in Singapore

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He continued: “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."

Asked about rival interest from others, which included a late move from United, Gyokeres confirmed: "Of course, there were other clubs as well. But I didn’t feel it was a difficult choice for me."