Viktor Gyokeres made his stance clear on the GOAT debate as he named his two footballing idols
Viktor Gyokeres made his opinion on the GOAT debate clear when he named the two footballers he idolised most growing up.
After a saga which has dominated this summer's transfer window, the Swedish striker is due to arrive in London on Friday to complete a protracted £63.7 million move.
It will finally bring an end to Arsenal's long-standing pursuit for a striker.
The 27-year-old, who has scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting CP across two seasons, attracted the interest of both Arsenal and Manchester United.
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But the Swede made it clear that he wanted to play in the Champions League and join Mikel Arteta's side.
After signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera, it has been a busy summer at the Emirates.
Last season they finished second in the Premier League for a third consecutive season and fell short in the Champions League semi-finals.
Arsenal bosses will be hoping this summer's spending spree will help them to win a first league title in more than two decades.
What did Viktor Gyokeres say on the GOAT debate?
Viktor Gyokeres has already made his stance known on one of football's hottest debates.
Back in 2023, he chose Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi in a quick response game.
He later spoke of his admiration for Ronaldo at Sporting CP following his side's 4-1 victory over Manchester City in last season's Champions League.
Gyokeres said: "Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo started their careers here and achieved incredible success.
"You have to admire players like that, who were at Sporting, but I try not to compare myself to them.
"I just want to be myself and give my best every day, whether in training or in games."
Gyokeres again spoke of his admiration for Ronaldo in an interview back in December.
He also mentioned another former Manchester United player as someone he respected in the game.
“The players I looked up to were Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo,” said Gyokeres.
“It’s about how they performed on the pitch, they went the extra mile, which impressed me. I wanted to do similar things on the pitch.”
His countryman Ibrahimović played for several of Europe's top clubs including Juventus, Barcelona and PSG.
He joined Manchester United in 2016, winning the League Cup and Europa League in his first season.
After he suffered an ACL injury in April 2017, he was unable to return at the same level and moved to MLS side LA Galaxy.
Now he works at AC Milan in an advisory role for the club's American owners.
Topics: Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Football, Transfer News, Mikel Arteta
James Taylor