'That was one of the things that interested me' - Arteta impressed with Gyokeres' personality

The Gunners secured the signing of the Sporting Lisbon striker after encountering some issues in agreeing a deal for the Swedish.

Gyokeres wasted no time in making a statement, opting for the No. 14 shirt, famously worn by Thierry Henry.

A move that manager Mikel Arteta viewed favorably, seeing it as a sign of the player's self-confidence.

"That was one of the things that interested me most during the recruitment process," Arteta said when asked about Gyokeres' shirt number choice in a Sky Sports interview, via Abola, previewing the opening match against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"We needed to bring in a player who could wear that shirt from day one, walk into the dressing room, and have everyone say, 'He's got what it takes.' Viktor definitely does. He has charisma, personality, and is a very confident lad. We've already seen it in these first few weeks, in the way he acts, the way he conducts himself on the pitch. It all comes naturally to him," Arteta commented.

Gyokeres' goalscoring prowess was, of course, another aspect that appealed to the Spanish manager: "If you look at his goalscoring record, we haven't had anyone score that many in the last two years. That killer instinct, that ability, that intuition inside the box to get on the end of things and score is something very, very special."

In the interview, Arteta said that the Swedish ex-Sporting player is compatible with Kai Havertz and is eager to get started: "The level of threat he poses and the fear he instills in opponents is also important. That's something that will benefit the players around him.

"He gives us flexibility to attack in a different way, to threaten the opponent in a different way. Whenever new blood comes in, something changes, and there is a new energy. One of Kai's biggest qualities, in particular, is his versatility. He has already played in various positions with us, now we have options."