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Viktor Gyokeres is confident of taking the Premier League by storm if he returns to England this summer.
The Sporting Lisbon striker — formerly of Brighton, Swansea and Coventry — has been widely linked with interest from both Manchester United and Arsenal.
That interest comes after Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting.
He previously netted 41 times in 121 appearances in England’s EFL Championship, although he has yet to play in the Premier League despite being on Brighton’s books for four years.
However, now aged 27, Gyokeres believes he is ready to thrive on the main stage.
Speaking to L’Equipe this week, Gyokeres was asked where he felt he currently ranked among the top strikers in world football.
Viktor Gyokeres is not short of confidence after scoring 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting
Both Manchester United and Arsenal are known to be keen on signing Gyokeres this summer
Names like Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland were put to Gyokeres, who replied: ‘I’m definitely one of them.
‘It’s difficult to rank me, but yes, I’m at the same table as them now. What I managed to do at Sporting, I am convinced I can achieve anywhere.
‘You haven’t seen the best of me yet.’
Such a confident statement is certain to make Arsenal and United fans even more excited about the prospect of signing Gyokeres this summer.
At present, Arsenal look like the more likely destination. Indeed, it was reported earlier this week that Gyokeres was ready to refuse to turn up for pre-season training with Sporting in order to push for a move to the Gunners.
However, Gyokeres sounded calm as he told L’Equipe: ‘The future? That’s football, you never know.
‘I’m not thinking about that [leaving], we’ll see what happens. If something is meant to happen, it will.
‘The most important thing for me is to play for a club that really wants me.’
Gyokeres believes he is ‘at the same table’ as Manchester City striker Erling Haaland right now
Swedish star Gyokeres also reckons he is on a similar level to England captain Harry Kane
Kane and Haaland are two of the most prolific frontmen in Premier League history.
England captain Kane, now of Bayern Munich in Germany, is second on the all-time list of Premier League scorers having netted 213 times for Tottenham.
Kane twice reached the 30-goal mark in a season — in 2017-18 and then again in the 2022-23 campaign.
He and Haaland are among only 10 players who have ever netted 30 or more goals in a single Premier League season.
Meanwhile, Haaland holds the record for most Premier League goals in one campaign, having hit 36 during his first season with Manchester City in 2022-23.
