Arsenal are leading the race for Sporting CP goal machine Viktor Gyokeres and a fresh report from Portugal suggests they are close to getting a deal done.
He joined Sporting from Coventry City for around £20m last summer and he’s been banging in goals for fun ever since – netting 43 times in 50 matches in 2023/24.
Gyokeres’ performances have caught the attention of several top sides, including Liverpool, but Arsenal are considered the frontrunners.
It’s recently been suggested that the Gunners could bid for him as soon as this week.
The Swedish international will not be a cheap addition, however, given he has an £86m release clause in his contract that Sporting are reluctant to budge on.
But according to Portuguese outlet Record, the club have just dropped a major hint that they could sell Gyokeres this summer by re-negotiating Coventry’s sell-on clause in the player’s contract.
The Sky Blues had a 15% sell-on clause inserted into the striker’s deal when he joined Sporting but Ruben Amorim’s team has now reduced that.
It’s claimed that the clause has lowered to 10%, meaning Coventry will now receive £8.6m, rather than £12.9m, if Gyokeres is sold for £86m this summer.
Arsenal prepare Viktor Gyokeres bid
The report claims that Sporting were ‘allowed’ to reduce Gyokeres’ sell-on clause due to a prior agreement with Coventry, but will have to pay an additional €3m (£2.5m) for that change.
That fee will be paid in two instalments and will only save Sporting a small amount of money, but the move suggests Sporting are expecting Gyokeres to leave this summer.
Reports suggest that Arsenal are set to make an opening offer of roughly £60m for the 26-year-old but it’s unlikely that’ll be enough to bring him in.
Mikel Arteta is looking to sign a replacement for Eddie Nketiah, who has been told he is free to find a new club this summer.
Marseille, along with several Premier League clubs are interested in Nketiah but so far none of them have been willing to match Arsenal’s price tag.
Arteta also wants more competition for Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz as he doesn’t believe the pair are prolific enough to fire his team to the Premier League title
Gyokeres has certainly proved he has an eye for goal but the step up from Portuguese to top-flight English football is undoubtedly a big one.
It will be interesting to see if Arsenal do make a first offer for Gyokeres in the coming days, as reports suggest.
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