Arsenal are believed to be finalising a deal for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres after weeks of negotiations, having agreed a fee in principle earlier this week, but he wasn’t always sporting director Andrea Berta’s only option.
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The Gunners are attempting to strike a deal.
The north Londoners will pay around £64 million for the Swede, including the pesky add-ons, which have been the final point of debate before Gyokeres potentially flies out for a medical with Mikel Arteta’s side soon.
|
Arsenal estimated transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports) |
Money on new signings |
|---|---|
|
19/20 – winter |
£0 |
|
20/21 – summer |
£81.5m |
|
20/21 – winter |
£900k |
|
21/22 – summer |
£156.8m |
|
21/22 – winter |
£1.8m |
|
22/23 – summer |
£121.5m |
|
22/23 – winter |
£59m |
|
23/24 – summer |
£208m |
|
23/24 – winter |
£0 |
|
24/25 – summer |
£101.5m |
|
24/25 – winter |
£0 |
|
25/26 – summer |
£140m |
There is some optimism that Gyokeres could link up with Arteta’s squad in time for their first pre-season game of the summer, against AC Milan in Singapore next Wednesday, and supporters are yearning for that to be the case.
A prolific striker who can guarantee 25-plus goals per season has long been viewed as the final missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw, and one that has the potential to make Arsenal Premier League title winners once again after a two-decade-long wait.
They scored just 69 top flight goals last season, which is far below their totals of 91 and 89 over the 2023/2024 and 2022/2023 campaigns respectively, and Arsenal’s struggles to break down the low block culminated in Arteta’s side registering more draws than any other side in the top 10.
Gyokeres’ incredible record in Portugal over the last two years highlights exactly why Berta sees the 27-year-old as an ideal solution, and with their previous negotiations to sign Benjamin Sesko dead in the water, he now looks to be perhaps Arsenal’s most important potential signing of the summer.
Sesko was a long-term target for Arsenal, having attempted to sign the Slovenian last summer and in January (Ben Jacobs), with Arteta personally viewing him as a preferred option ahead of Gyokeres at one stage (Christian Falk).
Berta was simultaneously working on deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres, before deciding which centre-forward to formally pursue (BBC), but the 22-year-old is now in limbo.
Benjamin Sesko open to joining Man United after botched Arsenal talks
According to GiveMeSport, Sesko is eyeing a potential move to Man United, following what proved to be “really complicated” talks with Arsenal – so he could still have options in the Premier League.
Unfortunately for him, the price Leipzig are demanding appears to be thwarting any potential move away right now, just one year after Sesko struck a gentlemen’s agreement that he could leave this year or in 2026.
Sesko penned a new contract last summer, rejecting proposals from Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United, but he’s finding it much harder to secure a switch this time round, and it could cost up to £86 million to convince Leipzig to part company.
The former Salzburg sensation enjoyed a career-best Bundesliga campaign last term, yet the saga surrounding his future appears set to drag on as Arsenal end their own striker pursuit with Gyokeres.
