Arsenal defender William Saliba has issued a warning to the club’s Premier League rivals, describing new signing Viktor Gyökeres as “scary” to face — and backing the Swedish striker to help end the Gunners’ long wait for silverware.

Gyökeres completed a €63 million move from Sporting CP last week — a deal that could rise to €73.5 million with add-ons — before immediately joining Arsenal’s preseason tour of Asia in Singapore.

The 26-year-old arrives as part of a busy summer for Arsenal, who have made six new signings as they aim to capture their first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020.

Saliba, who played against Gyökeres when Arsenal thrashed Sporting 5-1 in a Europa League match last November, believes the powerful forward could be the missing piece.

“We know how good he is — it’s scary to play against him,” Saliba said. “I’m so happy he’s at our club now. I’m sure he’ll help us win games and lift trophies.

“He’s scary because when you face a striker who scores goals, you have to stay focused! But now that he’s with us, he’ll be scoring for Arsenal — and that’s a good thing.”

Reflecting on Arsenal’s recent near-misses in the Premier League title race, Saliba stressed the importance of learning from past experiences and maintaining focus from day one.

“Every year is different. We have to learn from the last three seasons,” he added. “We’re lucky to have another chance to fight for the title, and we’ll give everything from the very first game.

“We’ve brought in a lot of new players and, hopefully, they’ll give us that extra push to win the league.”

Gyökeres is set to begin training with his new teammates this week as preparations ramp up for the 2025/26 campaign.