Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres could make his much-anticipated Arsenal debut in Thursday’s high-stakes north London derby against Tottenham — the first ever meeting between the two rivals outside the UK — in front of 50,000 fans at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium.
Speaking on Wednesday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed that the $67 million signing from Sporting Lisbon may feature in the clash, depending on his fitness clearance by the club’s medical team.
“He’s only trained yesterday and today, so we’ll assess him tonight,” Arteta told reporters. “If the medical staff are satisfied with his condition, there’s a possibility he could participate. As for the rest of the squad, everyone is fine.”
Gyökeres, who joined the team just three days ago on their Asia tour, is still catching up with match fitness compared to his new teammates, who already featured in preseason matches against AC Milan and Newcastle in Singapore.
The 27-year-old arrives at Arsenal after a sensational season in Portugal, where he scored 39 goals and led Sporting Lisbon to the league title. He also made headlines with a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City and amassed an astonishing 97 goals in 102 appearances for the club.
Gyökeres has signed a five-year deal with Arsenal and will wear the iconic number 14 shirt, previously worn by club legend Thierry Henry. Including potential performance-based add-ons, the total value of his transfer could rise to $89 million, pushing Arsenal’s summer spending to approximately $267 million.
