WILLIAM SALIBA has warned opposition defenders they will be SCARED facing Viktor Gyokeres this season.
The Gunners unveiled their new £63.5m striker in Singapore on Sunday before a 3-2 pre-season victory over Newcastle – won by a late Martin Odegaard penalty.
Gyokeres is officially a GunnerGetty
He was unveiled over the weekendGetty
His new teammate has warned he will be a force to be reckoned withGetty
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Gyokeres, 27, will fly to Hong Kong with the squad today ahead of potentially making his debut against North London rivals Tottenham on Thursday.
And French centre-back Saliba is glad he no longer has to battle Mikel Arteta’s latest recruit.
Gyokeres leaves Portugal with a record of 97 goals in 102 games in all competitions, including 39 goals in 33 games in the Portuguese top flight last term.
Saliba said: “We know how good he is, it’s scary to play against him. Of course, I’m so happy to have him in my club, and I’m sure that he will help us to win games and win trophies.
“When you face a striker who scores goals, you have to be focused! But now he’s in our team and he will score for us, so that’s good.”
Gyokeres is one of SIX players Arsenal have signed this summer, alongside Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera.
It is a huge overhaul that Arteta hopes can have the desired effect after finishing second in the Prem for three years on the spin – going five years without a trophy.
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Arteta believes getting most of his arrivals on Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia will pay off by the time they travel to Old Trafford for their Prem opener on August 17.
Having also beaten AC Milan 1-0 while in Singapore, Saliba continued: “Every year is different. We have to learn from the last three seasons.
“Of course we are lucky to have a chance to compete in the Premier League again and try to win. Our mindset is to win and we will give everything from the first game.
“We have a lot of new players and they will hopefully help us to win this league.
“Pressure is good, that means we are in a good place. We need to keep going like this. If we are not good we don’t have pressure. We play football to feel pressure.”
Saliba has just two years left on his current Emirates deal and Real Madrid are believed to want to lure the France international to Spain in the near future.
Sorting new deals for Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly, with talks ongoing for Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka too, Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are desperate to tie down another of their prized assets.
Asked if he will sign on, Saliba said: “Yeah, hopefully — of course there is nothing now but there is a good conversation with my agent and the club. Let’s see.”
Arsenal’s Hale End 15-year-olds Max Dowman and Marli Salmon made their senior debuts in Singapore, with Dowman in particular impressing, winning the penalty for Odegaard against the Toon with an incredible run cutting in off the right.
Arteta has hailed Dowman as “special” and is keen to give him first-team minutes this campaign. Saliba added: “They are unbelievable.
“Of course they are young, we mustn’t put pressure on them, but to play the way they play at 15. I remember when I was 15, I was not playing with the first team — I was with the U17s.
“We have to protect them and give them support, but of course they are really really good players, and I hope they will help us as soon as possible.”
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