Arsenal are reportedly in advanced negotiations with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon regarding the potential signing of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.
While a final agreement has not yet been reached, Gyokeres appears to have become Arsenal`s preferred target this summer. This comes after they were also linked with Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but the Bundesliga club is understood to be holding firm on a high valuation, believed to be around $94 million, for the young Slovenian forward.
The valuation of Gyokeres himself has been a point of contention. Sporting president Frederico Varandas stated last month that he would not be swayed by what he termed `blackmail and insults` to sell the player below the club`s desired price. Although a fee is still being discussed between Arsenal and Sporting, the situation is expected to develop rapidly. This is due to Gyokeres`s reported desire to move to North London and manager Mikel Arteta`s wish to reinforce his squad ahead of preseason training, which is set to begin next week.
The 27-year-old striker has been on Arsenal`s radar for some time. He was reportedly scouted by the club`s sporting director, Andrea Berta (who joined in March), particularly during his impressive spell at Coventry City in 2023, where he led them to the Championship play-off final. His prolific form continued after moving to Portugal, where he scored an outstanding 97 goals in just 102 appearances for Sporting, helping them secure consecutive league titles.
This remarkable scoring record presents a compelling alternative to Sesko, who is five years younger and plays in a league generally considered more competitive, but has scored less frequently (39 goals in 87 games) since joining RB Leipzig from Salzburg. While it hasn`t been officially confirmed that Arsenal have ended their interest in Sesko, CBS Sports previously reported that the Slovenian is also a target for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, although he is understood to prioritize a move to the Premier League.
