Will Gyökeres succeed at Arsenal? Analysing the performance of Portugal’s four biggest transfers abroad | OneFootball

If there’s one word to describe Viktor Gyökeres, it’s inevitable. It was inevitable that he would find the back of the net just about every single match he played in Portugal, having racked up an astonishing 97 goals and 28 assists in 102 appearances for Sporting. It was inevitable that he would outmuscle and outpace every single defender he went against. It was inevitable that he would lead Sporting to victory, having won two league titles and one Taça de Portugal in Lisbon. And it was inevitable that eventually, he would make the move to one of the biggest teams in Europe.

That inevitability finally materialised in a transfer on Saturday, with Arsenal signing him to a five-year contract and paying £55 million, potentially rising to £63.5 million with add-ons. Gyökeres has become Arsenal’s fourth-most expensive signing after Declan Rice, Nicolas Pépé, Kai Havertz and Martín Zubimendi, whilst he’s also become the fifth-most expensive sale in Liga Portugal history.

Despite finishing as the top scorer in Europe in 2024/25, many fans remain sceptical about Gyökeres and his ability to translate his skills to the Premier League. Their reasoning? If the last two Liga Portugal strikers to earn a big-money move abroad (Gonçalo Ramos at PSG and Darwin Núñez at Liverpool) weren’t overwhelming success stories, then why should Gyökeres be any different?

It is undeniable that both Núñez and Ramos have struggled to break into their teams’ starting line-up, but if we zoom out a bit further, we can ascertain that the majority of Liga Portugal’s lucrative transfers have enjoyed success abroad. Zach Lowy takes a look at each of the most expensive sales in Liga Portugal history.

1.   João Félix

João Félix broke onto the scene for Benfica in the 2018/19 season, becoming the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League and helping the Águias erase a seemingly insurmountable deficit and pip Porto to the league title. After just one season at professional level, he made the move across Iberia and joined Atlético Madrid for €126 million – the fourth-most expensive transfer fee in football history after Neymar and Kylian Mbappé’s moves to PSG and Philippe Coutinho’s switch to Barcelona.

Félix enjoyed a promising start to life in Spain, becoming their youngest-ever scorer in the Champions League, leading them to their first league title in seven years, and winning the club’s Player of the Season award in 2021/22. However, after falling out with Atleti manager Diego Simeone, Félix would end up departing on loan to Chelsea and Barcelona before eventually making the move to Chelsea on a permanent deal in the summer of 2024, featuring sporadically and eventually heading out on loan to Milan. Today, he is about to start a new adventure in Saudi Arabia, with Al-Nassr scuppering a potential return to Benfica by signing the 25-year-old in a €50 million move.

2.   Enzo Fernández

In contrast to Félix, one former Benfica player who has flourished at Chelsea is Enzo Fernández. Born in Buenos Aires, Fernández spent 13 years at River Plate before making the move to Benfica in the summer of 2022. Inheriting the #13 worn by club legend Eusébio, Fernández started his time in Lisbon as he meant to continue, scoring in each of his first three matches and being named as the Primeira Liga Midfielder of the Month for August, October and November 2022, before heading to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup. Initially as a substitute, he quickly transformed into a vital cog in midfield for Argentina, who would end up winning their first World Cup in 36 years thanks in large part to the efforts of Fernández, who was named as the Young Player of the Tournament.

It’s why Chelsea decided to cut his time in Lisbon short after just a few months, triggering his €121 million release clause and signing him to a contract through 2031. Fast-forward 2.5 years, and it’s proving to be money well spent: Fernández has emerged as a vital cog in midfield alongside Moisés Caicedo, wearing the captain’s armband on a regular basis and helping Chelsea win the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup.

3.   Darwin Núñez

Darwin Núñez was just 20 years old when he left his native Uruguay for Spain in 2019, racking up 16 goals in 30 Segunda appearances for Almería, persuading Benfica to splash out a club-record €24 million to sign him just one year later. After a muted debut campaign, Núñez took Portuguese football by storm in 2021/22 and won the Bola de Prata after racking up 26 goals in 28 league appearances, prompting Liverpool to sign him for a club-record €75 million fee plus €25 million in add-ons.

Whilst there have been moments of brilliance and splendour throughout his three years in England, racking up 40 goals and 26 assists in 143 matches, it’s fair to say that Darwin has failed to live up to expectations at Merseyside. His inconsistent decision-making and lack of composure in the final third has caused many Liverpool supporters to despair, and it’s evident that they are no longer waiting for him to turn it around. After shelling out €80 million plus €11.5 million in bonuses for Eintracht centre-forward Hugo Ekitiké, Liverpool are reportedly eyeing another mammoth transfer for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. As for Darwin, his time at Anfield is drawing to a close.

4.   Rúben Dias

Born in Amadora, Portugal, Rúben Dias spent nine years refining his skills at Benfica’s renowned Seixal academy before finally making his professional debut in 2017. Dias quickly emerged as a vital cog in defence, winning the Liga Portugal Young Player of the Season in 2017/18, claiming a league title and eventually making the move to Manchester City for €68 million, potentially rising to €71.6 million with performance bonuses, with Nicolás Otamendi being sent to Benfica in part-exchange for €15 million.

It proved a win-win as Otamendi became an indispensable leader and captain of Benfica, and Dias enjoyed a seamless transition to English football, winning Manchester City’s Player of the Season and the Premier League Player of the Season for 2020/21. Two years later, he helped City claim a continental treble – including a first-ever Champions League title – after nullifying Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku in a 1-0 victory. Dias has emerged as a stalwart in City’s backline, making 222 appearances and winning 10 trophies, and becoming one of the team’s vice-captains. And after spurring Portugal to their second UEFA Nations League title, he looks set to play a leading role for the Seleção next year as they pursue a maiden World Cup.