Viktor Gyokeres transfer: Ex-Arsenal star admits he 'may get attacked' for verdict on deal

Former Arsenal star William Gallas has warned Viktor Gyokeres he may need to make "two or three steps up" when he arrives in the Premier League, insisting it will be hard for him to adapt to the rigours of the English top flight.

The Gunners are closing in on the signing of £63.5m Gyokeres after reaching a breakthrough in talks with his club Sporting Lisbon, in what is a huge boost for Mikel Arteta amid his search for a top quality striker.

Gyokeres scored 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting last season and is being tipped to help Arsenal end their trophy drought and compete regularly for the Premier League title.

Last season Arsenal played much of the campaign without a recognised No.9 and fans are celebrating the impending arrival of Gyokeres, but former defender Gallas has warned excited supporters that the Swedish star may take time to get up to speed in England.

Gallas conceded he "may get attacked" for his opinion that Gyokeres had a bigger advantage against defenders in the Portuguese league.

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"He’s not just making one step up. It’s more like two or three steps, from Sporting to Arsenal right now," Gallas told Genting Casino.

"He’ll be playing against defenders who are really strong, maybe the strongest. In the first season, he will need to adapt. He’s tall, he’s massive, so I may get attacked for saying this but in Portugal, he had a much bigger advantage on the defenders. He will need to adapt to the Premier League defenders quickly."

Gallas, who played 142 times for Arsenal, said he hoped Gyokeres was an immediate success at the Emirates but told fans not to be surprised if he was better in his second season.

"There’s a chance that his second year is much stronger than his first year at Arsenal," he added. "But Arsenal will not be wanting to wait for a major trophy any longer. And the signing of a striker is seen as that last piece of the puzzle to do exactly that.

"I hope that, if he comes in, he comes in and hits the ground running. We’ve all been waiting for Arsenal to sign a killer. Only time will tell if Gyokeres is an assassin in the Premier League."

It's understood Gyokeres has already agreed personal terms on a five-year deal with Arsenal, who hope to have him in time for their pre-season tour in Asia.

The deal has been far from straight forward, with Sporting initially playing hardball after Arsenal's bid of £60m was rejected, with Gyokeres going on strike to force a move.

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