Saliba backing new Arsenal striker Gyokeres to deliver Premier League title

Arsenal defender William Saliba has sent a clear message to the rest of the Premier League – facing Viktor Gyokeres is going to be a nightmare.

The Swedish forward sealed a transfer that could rise to £64 million from Sporting last week and wasted no time linking up with his new team-mates on the club’s pre-season tour in Singapore.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been active in the transfer market, adding six fresh faces this summer as they aim to end a four-year trophy drought.

For Saliba, Gyokeres could be the final piece of the puzzle after his own experience of trying to stop him in Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Sporting last November.

“We know how good he is, it’s scary to play against him,” Saliba said. “Of course, I’m so happy to have him in my club and I’m sure that he will help us to win games and win trophies.
“[He is scary] because when you face a striker who scores goals, you have to be focused! But now he’s in our team and he will score for us, so that’s good.”

Arsenal supporters saw a glimpse of their new striker when Gyokeres made his first appearance in the red and white during a 3-2 win over Newcastle in Singapore.

His arrival has given the squad renewed optimism as they prepare for another title push.

“Every year is different. We have to learn from the last three seasons. Of course, we are lucky to have a chance to compete in the Premier League again to try to win”, Sailiba added.

“Our mindset is to win the Premier League and we will give everything from the first game. We have a lot of new players and they will hopefully help us to win this league.”
Gyokeres is expected to begin full training sessions with the team in the coming days as they travel from Singapore to Hong Kong, where a showdown with rivals Tottenham will wrap up their Asian pre-season tour.

While speculation has linked Saliba with Real Madrid, the France international was quick to play down concerns about his future.

Negotiations over a contract extension are progressing, with Arsenal confident of tying him down beyond 2025.

“Yeah, hopefully. Of course, there is nothing now but there is a good conversation with my agent and the club. Let’s see.”