Arsenal are on the verge of completing the signing of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres, with the protracted negotiations over the structure of performance-related add-ons being the final hurdle in the transfer.
The Premier League club had hoped to finalize the €73.5 million (£63.5 million) deal before their departure for a pre-season tour of Asia on Sunday, but discussions over the finer details have delayed the official announcement.
Gyökeres, 27, has already agreed to personal terms and a five-year contract with the Gunners. The Sweden international has been one of Europe’s most sought-after forwards this summer after a phenomenal season in which he scored 54 goals in 52 games for the Portuguese champions.
The move comes after a lengthy search for an elite centre-forward by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. The club turned their full attention to Gyökeres after reaching an impasse in their earlier pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. Arteta has been determined to add more firepower to his squad after they finished 10 points behind champions Liverpool last season, scoring 17 fewer goals.
Gyökeres has been a revelation since moving to Portugal from Coventry City for around £20 million in 2023. In two seasons with Sporting, he has scored an impressive 97 goals in 102 matches, leading the club to back-to-back Primeira Liga titles.
His prolific form is not a recent phenomenon; during his time at Coventry, he established himself as one of the most feared strikers in the Championship, scoring 43 goals in 116 appearances and being named in the division’s team of the year for the 2022-23 season.
The signing of Gyökeres, once finalized, will be another major addition to an Arsenal attack already bolstered by last week’s arrival of England winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea.
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