Wayne Rooney has no doubts about who was the best signing of the Premier League season. The Manchester United legend officially named Viktor Gyökeres as the player who transformed Arsenal and helped deliver the club’s long-awaited league title.

Mikel Arteta’s side finally ended a wait of more than two decades for a Premier League crown, finishing seven points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. According to Rooney, Gyökeres was the decisive difference-maker.

The Swedish striker arrived at the Emirates as one of Arsenal’s marquee summer signings and, despite a difficult start, quickly developed into the clinical forward the club had been missing for years. Gyökeres finished the season with 21 goals in all competitions and played a major role in both Arsenal’s title-winning campaign and their run to the Champions League final.

Speaking on his BBC podcast after the end of the season, Rooney explained why he selected Gyökeres as the league’s standout signing.

“After finishing second for the last three years, Gyökeres gave Arsenal something different. He was a huge factor in them winning the Premier League,” Rooney said.

The former England captain also praised Arteta for changing the team’s tactical identity. Rooney believes the Spanish manager moved away from trying to fully imitate Pep Guardiola’s football philosophy and instead built a more physical and defensively solid side.

“Everyone wants to play like Guardiola’s teams, but Arteta realized he needed something different. Arsenal are bigger, stronger, and they don’t concede goals,” Rooney added.

Arsenal’s title triumph now feels like the beginning of a new era in North London, with Gyökeres already becoming one of the defining figures behind the club’s return to the top of English football.

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