Arsenal finally got their number 9 last week, sealing a big-money deal with Portuguese champions Sporting CP for striker Viktor Gyökeres, who scored an astonishing 97 goals in 102 matches across all competitions for the club.
The 27-year-old came close to earning Premier League promotion with Coventry City two years ago and had been linked with both Manchester United and Arsenal in the past. This summer, it was the Gunners who won the race for his signature.
Gyökeres wasted no time showing his confidence in replicating his prolific form in Portugal back in England, taking over Arsenal’s iconic number 14 shirt—nearly two decades after it was last worn by one of the Premier League’s greatest ever players.
Thierry Henry ended his first legendary stint at Arsenal with 174 Premier League goals and five major trophies. Inheriting his number 14 shirt, while largely symbolic, carries weight and expectation not suited for the faint-hearted.
Yet Gyökeres has already cleared his first hurdle—surprisingly—by breaking Arsenal’s record for shirt sales.
“While data from various outlets and retailers is still being analysed, it is already clear that demand for Gyökeres’ No. 14 shirt exceeds that of any signing in recent history,” reports The Athletic.
To celebrate his arrival, Arsenal offered free name printing for Gyökeres on any of next season’s shirts—a service that normally costs £16. The offer was available both in-store and online, but demand was so overwhelming that the club’s website temporarily crashed.
The Athletic also reports that Gyökeres specifically requested the number 14 shirt—partly because Gabriel Jesus already wears number 9, but also as a nod to Henry, Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer. Henry overtook Ian Wright as the club’s record scorer in October 2005 and was a key figure in Arsenal’s legendary Invincibles season.
While Gyökeres still has a long way to go to match Henry’s contribution, the buzz around his signing is undeniable. Arsenal have struggled in recent seasons without a fit and reliable centre-forward. Injuries during the 2024–25 campaign forced Mikel Arteta to field Leandro Trossard and even Mikel Merino in the role as their title hopes gradually faded.
Now, with Gyökeres leading the line, Arsenal fans are hopeful that the missing piece to their attack has finally arrived.
