DONE DEAL: World’s most wanted striker has agreed personal terms to join Arsenal, finally bid farewell to his fans and and land in London for medical- Announcement will be made today
Arsenal are widely expected to sign a marquee striker during this summer’s transfer window.
The Gunners lacked consistency in the attacking third last season, and dropped points on 18 occasions in the Premier League.
The club must improve to challenge for the league title. A genuine goalscoring striker appears a definite priority.
Record now claim that Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres has his sights on joining Arsenal.
The Swede is prepared to ‘wait until the limit to see his dream of playing’ for the Gunners come true.
Arsenal have already made an opening bid worth £55.6 million including add-ons for the 27-year-old.
Sporting are presently reluctant to sanction the striker’s sale for anything less than £68 million this summer.
Striker hunt
Arsenal have lacked the presence of a marquee centre-forward. Kai Havertz was the club’s leading scorer in the Premier League last season with just 9 goals despite being injured for almost three months.
The Gunners need an upgrade in the department if they want to challenge Manchester City and Liverpool for the title next term. Gyokeres would be a fabulous addition of the back of two superb campaigns at Sporting.
The former Coventry City man registered 43 goals and 15 assists in his debut campaign at the Portuguese champions. He followed it up with 54 goals and 13 assists in his 2nd year as Sporting retained their league title.
Gyokeres will face a sterner challenge in the Premier League. He may not be afforded with the same time and space unlike in the Primeira Liga. There is a high possibility that he could be closed down much quicker.
Arsenal still believe he has the credentials to succeed in the English top flight, but are unlikely to pay over the odds. They have set a fixed price for the marksman, but Sporting want a higher figure for his transfer.
Negotiations could continue in the coming weeks to find a suitable solution. If Sporting stand firm on their valuation, Arsenal could turn to cheaper alternative options – one of those could be Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
The England international was a top target for the Gunners in January, but a transfer did not materialise. The 29-year-old could be available for £40 million this summer after Aston Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
