Arsenal paying ‘greater attention’ to 31-goal striker as huge summer transfer edges closer

Arsenal are up against a major European giant but are stepping up their pursuit of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports in Portugal.

Gyokeres has earned himself a place in the spotlight since leaving Coventry City for Sporting in the summer. Since his departure from the Championship club, the Sweden international has scored 31 goals in 34 appearances for his new side.

All of a sudden, he is on the radar of some clubs with elite ambitions. For example, Arsenal need a new centre-forward and, according to A Bola, are paying ‘greater attention’ to the 25-year-old.

They have been linked with other options such as Ivan Toney from Brentford, but it seems Gyokeres is rising up their wish list.

A Bola believes the prospect of Gyokeres leaving Sporting after a single season is simultaneously increasing, claiming his exit is a ‘shorter distance away’.

However, Arsenal are not the only club in contention to offer him his next step. The report claims Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping a close eye on Gyokeres.

And TEAMtalk was told late last year that the former Brighton man may prefer to join a major Champions League club in mainland Europe than a Premier League counterpart.

PSG are preparing to lose Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer to Real Madrid in the summer, so might be expected to reinvest in their attack.

Therefore, it could be a feisty transfer battle between the Ligue 1 champions and Arsenal for Gyokeres.

Gyokeres set to cost a fortune

Sporting are insistent on keeping a player they have under contract until 2028, but his €100m (£86m) release clause leaves them vulnerable if any of his admirers think he is worth it.

It wouldn’t exactly be a disaster for the Lisbon outfit if they were to lose Gyokeres for such a price. They only paid Coventry €21m to sign him in the first place, so could cash in for almost five times as much.

But it would obviously be bittersweet for the Lions after they spotted Gyokeres’ potential to become impactful in a top-flight and at European level.

After coming fourth in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season, Sporting are title contenders this time around, another indication of the impact Gyokeres has had on their fortunes under promising head coach Ruben Amorim.

To put into context just how good Gyokeres has been for Sporting, they are already the club he has scored the second most amount of goals in his career for, with his tally of 31 in their colours only bettered by his 43 (in 116 appearances) for Coventry.

Now, Arsenal are wondering if he could be their missing piece as they look for a more reliable frontman than either Gabriel Jesus or Eddie Nketiah.

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