Mikel Arteta is set to end his long search for a centre forward with Arsenal close to agreement on a £64million deal for Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon.
Gyokeres is expected to sign a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium and conclude the saga in the coming days after a breakthrough in negotiations on Tuesday surrounding the precise nature of the bonus-related add-ons, beyond the guaranteed fee of £55m.
The 27-year-old Sweden international has had his heart set on a move to North London despite strong interest from elsewhere, including his former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.
Reports from Portugal in recent days claimed that United, now managed by Gyokeres’ former Sporting boss Amorim, had reignited their interest in the player.
However, the manager’s treatment of ex-Red Devil and Gyokeres’ compatriot Victor Lindelof upset the striker, according to Portuguese outlet Record. The two players share the same agent in Turkish businessman Hasan Cetinkaya, with Lindelof said to have maintained a desire to remain at Old Trafford had he been offered a new deal by the club.
Cetinkaya was also allegedly angered by Amorim’s treatment of the centre-back given that he persuaded Gyokeres to work under the current United boss at Sporting.
Arsenal are on the brink of agreeing a £63.4million deal for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres
The Swedish star has been the subject of one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer sagas
It is, however, too late for Gyokeres to join Mikel Arteta’s side on their pre-season tour of Asia
He is also understood to have waived £6m commission to help complete the transfer to Arsenal.
Gyokeres has been prolific in Portugal since Coventry sold him for £20m in 2023. He has 97 goals in 102 appearances, firing Sporting to back-to-back league titles and the league and cup double last season.
Arteta will hope he can now spearhead Arsenal’s quest to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004 having finished for three successive years as runners-up.
Last season’s campaign hinged on injury problems for two recognised forwards, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
Arteta bemoaned the club’s inability to supply him with more firepower in the January transfer window, but the financial backing has been strong for him in the first summer under new sporting director Andrea Berta.
Gyokeres and centre-half Cristhian Mosquera, also poised to join for £16.5m from Valencia, will take Arsenal’s summer spending spree beyond £200m.
Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and noni Maduekeke Signed Already.
Coventry’s quest for promotion to the Premier League will be boosted because they stand to receive a 10 per cent cut of Sporting’s profit on Gyokeres.
Ruben Amorim’s treatment of Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof reportedly upset Viktor Gyokeres and his agent Hasan Cetinkaya, according to a report in Portugal
The Swede, who left the club after his contract expired, is also represented by Cetinkaya
Arsenal and Sporting quibbled over the structure of Gyokeres’ fee, causing a delay in talks
Contrary to some reports, the Sky Blues did not cash in the clause last year, and Frank Lampard’s team can expect an initial cut of £3.5m, of which £500,000 will go to the Swede’s previous club, Brighton.
Arsenal are in Asia where they will start their preseason tour with a game against AC Milan on Wednesday.
