Fabrizio Romano has now issued Arsenal a ‘guarantee’ regarding their interest in the transfer of Viktor Gyokeres after sporting director Edu agreed a fee with Sporting CP.
The Gunners are keen to sign a new striker over the off-season and see Gyokeres as a prime target. Sporting only signed the 26-year-old from Coventry City last summer after thriving in the EFL Championship. But his instant success in Liga Portugal drew the interest of Arsenal.
Gyokeres instantly adapted to his new surroundings and ended the 2023/24 season with 29 goals in 33 Portuguese top-flight appearances. He even scored 43 in 50 fixtures across all competitions, while laying on 15 assists, after firing home five in nine Europa League games.
Fabrizio Romano ‘guarantees’ Viktor Gyokeres’ transfer to Arsenal is ‘not imminent’
Now, reports by Leonino claim Arsenal have agreed a fee with Sporting to sign Gyokeres this summer. The 20-cap Sweden attacker has a €100m (£84.5m) release clause in his contract running through June 2028. But Edu has agreed to pay an initial fixed sum of €90m (£76m).
Yet the operation for Arsenal to sign Gyokeres will cost the Emirates Stadium outfit in excess of €120m (£101.5m). Edu has even agreed to add-ons linked to his goals, appearances in the Champions League and Arsenal winning the Premier League, Champions League or FA Cup.
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Leonino claims the Gunners agreed to the deal as they feel the forward is the missing piece to beating Manchester City for the Premier League title. But Romano now ‘guarantees’ that ‘nothing is imminent’ regarding Gyokeres sealing a transfer to Arsenal despite their interest.
Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus have forced Mikel Arteta to target a striker this summer
Arsenal have admired Gyokeres for a long time but Romano does not believe they are set to sign the Sporting striker yet. It is still possible that the Stockholm native switches Lisbon for north London this summer. But Mikel Arteta must continue to wait for Edu to sign a forward.
Arteta and Edu have sought to target a striker this summer as Arsenal could not rely on their out-and-out centre-forwards last term. Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus only scored five and four goals in 27 Premier League games respectively. Nketiah also did not net after October.
Academy graduate Nketiah offered his haul for the season with one goal against Nottingham Forest and Fulham in August plus a hat-trick against Sheffield United in October. Jesus, too, failed to find the back of a net after scoring his final effort at Nottingham Forest this January.