Arsenal accelerate glorious signing of £85m striker with 46 goal contributions this season
Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres
Amid doubts over Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney, Arsenal have installed Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres as their No 1 striker target and a journalist has revealed their pursuit has ramped up a notch.
Giant strides forward are there for all to see at Arsenal over the last two seasons. The Gunners became genuine title challengers last term before succumbing to the pressure down the stretch.
Mikel Arteta has proven his side weren’t one-season wonders with another title charge overseen this time around. What’s more, Arsenal also advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010 when edging past FC Porto last week.
The blockbuster £105m signing of Declan Rice has clearly taken the Gunners up a level. Transfers on that scale can make or break a club and in Arsenal’s case, it’s already clear they made the right call with Rice.
However, another gigantic fee could be paid at season’s end with Arsenal intent on landing a proven goalscorer up front.
Placing a potent frontman between Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka in Arteta’s strongest front three would give opposing defence’s nightmares.
All three of Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney and Viktor Gyokeres have been linked. However, TEAMtalk has learned Arsenal have soured on Toney and Fabrizio Romano insisted there’s been no progression on Osimhen.
Gyokeres supersedes Osimhen, Toney
“There’s nothing new on Victor Osimhen so far despite reports that Arsenal are ahead of Chelsea in the race to sign him,” the journalist said in his Daily Briefing column.
“There is no ‘moving ahead’ because it’s not a proper race. There’s no negotiation with Napoli as there’s a release clause, so it’s about paying that money and reaching an agreement with Osimhen. At the moment no club is close to that.
“Interest from various clubs has been there for months, but at the moment we’re not any further along in the story.”
A recent report from online outlet Football Transfers claimed it’s Sporting and Sweden hitman, Viktor Gyokeres, who Arsenal will move for.
The 25-year-old has reportedly emerged as Arsenal’s primary option up top and why he’s viewed as the perfect striker for Arteta was made clear.
Gyokeres is in the form of his life at present having taken Portugal by storm. Since arriving from Coventry City in a deal totalling €24m last summer, Gyokeres has remarkably notched 46 goal contributions (33 goals, 13 assists) in 38 matches across all competitions.
His exploits have helped fire Sporting to the top of the Primeira Liga and victory against Boavista on Sunday night would be another step towards beating bitter rivals FC Porto and Benfica to the title.
Arsenal to watch Gyokeres tonight
Now, according to Football Transfers reporter, Steve Kay, Arsenal will move their pursuit of Gyokeres along when scouting Gyokeres up close and personal against Boavista.
Taking to X, Kay reaffirmed Arsenal maintain ‘strong interest’ in the striker before confirming club scouts will be in Portugal for Sporting’s match tonight.
The Gunners already know how much signing Gyokeres will cost thanks to a release clause.
Sporting can be removed from the equation if clubs bid the round figure of €100m. At current exchange rate that roughly equates to £85m.
One club who’d very much love Arsenal to sign Gyokeres is Coventry. The Championship side are in line to collect a huge windfall from any Gyokeres move via a 15 percent sell-on clause.
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