There have been several twists and turns in the negotiations involving the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, with Sporting making it difficult for Europe's most sought-after striker to leave, an attitude that was betraying trust with the player. However, the last few hours have presented a very different and extremely favorable scenario for Arsenal, who can finally be confident that they are close to sealing the deal.
27-year-old striker's transfer has not yet been completed due to bureaucratic details of the deal with Sporting, but discussions over the value of the contract are extremely close to signing, after Arsenal agreed all the personal terms already set out for a proposed five-year contract, with Arsenal prioritizing it.
The latest reports also indicate that manager Mikel Arteta is also pushing hard behind the scenes for the situation to be resolved quickly before the squad resumes its pre-season training shortly. As a result, Manchester United could be virtually considered a "wild card", with the Red Devils missing out on yet another signing.
Arsenal tenta contratação de Gyokeres há meses
Arsenal's interest has been concrete since at least the end of March, when the first reports confirmed that the club was stepping up its talks to sign Gyokeres, prompted by a move from sporting director Andrea Berta. Last month, Federico Varandas (Sporting's president) insisted that there was still no official offer, signaling that he would not be giving in to any "blackmail or insults".
The Gunners' interest has been piqued by Gyokeres' winning season, in which he scored 97 goals in 102 games. The top scorer joined English soccer in 2017/18 when he moved to Brighton, but made just eight appearances. After spells at St. Pauli and Swansea City, he finally made a name for himself at Conventry, scoring 43 goals in two seasons before arriving at Sporting, where he consolidated his career with a €65 million severance deal and domestic league and cup titles.