Personal terms have been agreed upon for a 5-year contract. Gyokeres will earn a weekly salary of $175,000 at the Emirates Stadium, more than double his current $85,000 weekly wage at Sporting.
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Viktor Gyokeres celebrates a goal during Sporting's 4-1 victory over Man City in Lisbon, Portugal, 5/11/2024. Photo: AP |
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates a goal during Sporting's 4-1 victory over Man City in Lisbon, Portugal, 5/11/2024. Photo: AP
According to The Athletic, the deal is not yet complete as the two clubs are still discussing the fee. However, negotiations are progressing well and are in the final stages. Arsenal hopes to reach an agreement for a price lower than Sporting's $90 million asking price.
Arsenal's new Sporting Director, Andrea Berta, has long admired Gyokeres. Manager Mikel Arteta is also pushing to finalize the deal before Arsenal returns to training for the new season.
Last month, Sporting's president, Frederico Varandas, insisted the club had not received any offers for Gyokeres. He also denied reports that Sporting had a secret agreement with Gyokeres' agent allowing him to leave if the team received an offer of $70 million with an additional $10 million in performance-related add-ons.
Gyokeres has rejected several big clubs and only wants to move to Arsenal. Last week, European media reported that the 27-year-old striker broke up with his girlfriend, Ines Aguiar, to "completely sever all ties with Portugal." Aguiar reportedly wanted Gyokeres to stay at Sporting for another season, which led to the conflict.
Gyokeres previously played in England, scoring 43 goals for Coventry during two and a half seasons in the Championship. The Swedish striker joined Sporting in 2023 and has scored 97 goals in 102 games over two seasons in Portugal. Last season, Gyokeres netted 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions, including a hat-trick against Man City in the Champions League, contributing significantly to Sporting's domestic league and Portuguese Cup victories.
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Gyokeres scores against Man City during Sporting's 4-1 win in the Champions League group stage at Alvalade Stadium, Lisbon, 5/11/2024. Photo: Reuters |
Gyokeres scores against Man City during Sporting's 4-1 win in the Champions League group stage at Alvalade Stadium, Lisbon, 5/11/2024. Photo: Reuters
Arsenal is eager to strengthen its attack this summer after failing to win the Premier League title for three consecutive seasons. Last season, they scored only 69 goals – 17 fewer than champions Liverpool. Kai Havertz was the team's top scorer with only 9 goals, ranking 26th in the league. Arsenal's expected goals (xG) was only 61.6 – sixth among the 20 teams.
In addition to Gyokeres, the "Gunners" are also targeting center forward Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) and wingers Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), and Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace).
Compiled by Hong Duy
