Arsenal are reportedly ready to try their luck with a bid in the region of £55-60m for the potential transfer of Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, who is also on the radar of Chelsea and others.
According to the Daily Briefing, the Gunners are keen to re-start negotiations over Gyokeres once they finalise the sale of Eddie Nketiah, who is likely to complete a move to Marseille, but it remains to be seen if they will be able to reach an agreement with Sporting.
Gyokeres was one of the most prolific strikers in Europe last season, scoring a remarkable 43 goals in 50 games in all competitions for Sporting, who want his £86m release clause paid in full, according to the Daily Briefing’s report.
The Sweden international certainly looks like he could do a job for Arsenal, who need an upgrade on the inconsistent and injury-prone Gabriel Jesus, while Nketiah’s departure would leave Mikel Arteta a little short of depth up front.
Gyokeres transfer: Can Arsenal get this deal done?
Still, the Daily Briefing suggest that Chelsea will also continue to pose a threat in the Gyokeres transfer race, as they could yet turn to him as a cheaper alternative to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
The report also mentions some interest from Atletico Madrid, while Liverpool have shown an interest in recent times but now seem to have decided they’re not prioritising a striker.
Arsenal would surely be one of the most tempting destinations for Gyokeres, as the 26-year-old will no doubt be keen to play in the Champions League and win major trophies, with Mikel Arteta’s side surely one of the big favourites to win the Premier League title next term.
Chelsea would have been a tempting option in the past, but it remains to be seen how happy Gyokeres would be to go there now as they remain in this transitional period and building around mostly young players for a long-term project.