Viktor Gyökeres does not embrace the comparison with Thierry Henry, even though he will be wearing the iconic number 14 shirt at Arsenal. The Swedish striker acknowledges its historical significance but chooses to let go of the sentiment.
As Viktor Gyökeres officially settles into life at Arsenal following his high-profile €63 million move from Sporting CP, the buzz surrounding the Swedish striker has already reached fever pitch and it’s not just because of his goalscoring record.
When the club confirmed that Gyökeres would wear the number 14 shirt, a number forever associated with club legend Thierry Henry, excitement among fans exploded. Shirt sales spiked overnight, with Gyökeres 14 kits flying off the shelves as supporters rushed to own a piece of what they hope will be a new chapter of greatness in the red and white.
But for Gyökeres himself, the symbolic weight of the number is something he accepts with humility, not pressure. Speaking to British media on Wednesday, the 26-year-old made it clear that while he respects the history, he’s not here to mimic anyone. “Of course I know the history,” he said. “To be honest, there weren’t many numbers available. There wasn’t much to choose from, but that number was. Once I knew that, it was an easy choice.”
The mention of "the number" is no small detail at Arsenal. The number 14 shirt is sacred it belonged to Thierry Henry, arguably the club’s greatest ever player, who wore it with elegance, flair, and devastating efficiency during his two spells in North London. Henry's legacy includes four Golden Boots, two Premier League titles, and 228 goals for Arsenal an impossible act to follow. And Gyökeres knows that all too well.
“It’s not my intention to be compared to what he achieved in his career certainly not here,” Gyökeres said firmly. “I just want to do my own thing and show my qualities. Of course, he was a great player, but a different one than I am.”
Indeed, Gyökeres’ style is very different from that of the French icon. While Henry glided across the pitch with elegance and exploded in front of goal with precision and grace, Gyökeres is a powerful, aggressive forward who thrives on physicality, direct play, and relentless pressure. At Sporting, he was known not just for his goals 43 in all competitions last season but for his energy, intensity, and ability to carry the ball forward through dense defensive lines. He is not here to be the next Henry. He is here to be the first Gyökeres.
That mentality may prove crucial, as Arsenal fans and pundits alike begin to scrutinize his every touch, movement, and goal attempt. The Premier League is a step up from the Portuguese league, and expectations are sky-high for a player signed at such a substantial cost. But the club has done its homework. Manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu identified Gyökeres as the kind of striker who could elevate Arsenal’s already dynamic attack someone who could bring a new dimension to the forward line with his strength, work rate, and killer instinct inside the box.
Wearing number 14 is not without risk, and the history surrounding it has been something of a curse for those who’ve tried to follow in Henry’s footsteps. Since the Frenchman’s departure, players like Theo Walcott, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Eddie Nketiah have all worn the number with varying degrees of success but none have come close to matching Henry’s legacy. Gyökeres, to his credit, is trying to tune out that noise.
“I know people will make those comparisons, but for me, it’s just a shirt number. What matters is what I do on the pitch how I perform, how I help the team, how I score goals,” he said. “It’s an honour, sure, but I’m focused on creating something new, something different.”
Gyökeres has already impressed in training, with teammates reportedly praising his physical presence and finishing. His adaptability, honed across Sweden, England, and Portugal, suggests he won’t take long to settle in. And while the Premier League is a different beast, his form at Sporting where he was involved in more than 60 goal contributions across all competitions has given Arsenal supporters hope that he might be the final piece of Arteta’s attacking puzzle.
The timing of the move also reflects Arsenal’s ambition. After finishing runners-up in two consecutive Premier League seasons, the Gunners are now looking for the extra edge to finally leapfrog Manchester City. The addition of a top-class striker was seen as essential. While Gabriel Jesus brings creativity and pressing intelligence, and Nketiah offers depth, Gyökeres brings raw firepower a true number nine capable of leading the line with authority.
His €63 million transfer fee is one of the highest in the club’s history, and it comes with all the pressure that entails. Yet Gyökeres seems unfazed. Calm, grounded, and focused, he’s approaching the move as a personal step forward, not as a burden.
“I’ve worked hard to get here, and I know what I can bring,” he said. “It’s a new league, a new challenge, but I’m ready for it. I’m hungry. I want to win things, and I want to do it with this club.”
As the season approaches, the spotlight will grow brighter, the expectations heavier, and the comparisons louder. But Viktor Gyökeres appears determined to silence the distractions and do what he’s always done best: score goals, fight for every ball, and leave everything on the pitch.
If he succeeds, Arsenal’s number 14 shirt may once again carry the legacy of a great goalscorer not because he followed in Henry’s footsteps, but because he carved out a legacy of his own.
