Viktor Gyokeres Shatters Arsenal Record Without Even Stepping Onto the Pitch
Arsenal are witnessing the Viktor Gyökeres phenomenon before the forward has even stepped onto the pitch for the club, with jersey sales featuring his name reaching unprecedented levels.
Following extensive negotiations and Gyökeres's determined efforts to secure his departure from Sporting CP—resulting in disciplinary action for unauthorized absence from training—the Swedish striker officially joined Arsenal in a £63.5 million ($84.9 million) transfer completed last weekend.
The North London club promptly announced he would wear Thierry Henry's iconic No. 14 jersey, while the official team store and digital platform provided supporters with complimentary Gyökeres customization on any purchased kit.
The Athletic reports that despite lacking precise retail figures currently, supporter enthusiasm for his name on Arsenal jerseys has exceeded that of "any transfer in recent memory".
Jersey personalization at the Arsenal retail location typically costs £16 ($21.40), so offering the 27-year-old's name and digits without additional charges has presumably boosted sales from the club's direct retail channel.
However, it's reasonable to acknowledge that Arsenal supporters were already enthusiastic about Gyökeres, a player who netted 97 goals across just two campaigns at Sporting, and came remarkably close to claiming last season's European Golden Boot from one of the continent's lower-coefficient divisions.
The Gunners haven't invested heavily in a proven goalscorer since their then-record £56 million acquisition of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2018.
Arsenal have succeeded in mounting recent Premier League championship campaigns—securing second place finishes across three consecutive seasons for their most stable period in twenty years—without a traditional striker. Wide players, creative midfielders and versatile forwards have led scoring charts in recent campaigns, but the organization and fanbase are optimistic this will transform in 2025–26 and subsequent seasons.