Viktor Gyokeres to undergo Arsenal medical as £63.7m star picks Gunners shirt number
Arsenal are finally on course to seal the signing of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres following a gruelling negotiation process
Arsenal are now within touching distance of landing Viktor Gyokeres after the Swedish striker was finally granted permission to undergo a medical by Sporting CP. The Gunners have been locked in talks with the Portuguese champions over a swoop for the 27-year-old centre-forward, who has already verbally agreed a five-year contract ahead of moving to the Emirates.
Arsenal and Sporting struck an agreement in principle worth an initial £55million plus £8.7m in add-ons on Sunday July 13 but discussions rumbled on over the structure of those bonuses.
However, the Gunners, who have been striving to get Gyokeres to Asia to play a part in their pre-season tour, have now thrashed out the final details and shaken hands with Sporting following a gruelling negotiation process.
Sporting are understood to have received Arsenal’s formal proposal in writing on Tuesday night and the two clubs have since had their lawyers working through the finer details of the paperwork.
The ex-Coventry City frontman is now poised to undergo a medical on Saturday and should those checks be successful, he will become Mikel Arteta’s sixth acquisition of the summer window.
It is understood, that once a deal is officially signed off, he will be handed the club’s iconic number 14 shirt previously donned by Gunners legend Thierry Henry.
READ MORE: Arsenal to finally sign Viktor Gyokeres with imminent transfer one step awayREAD MORE: Edu working on transfer for Arsenal target he repeatedly failed to sign for Mikel Arteta
Speaking after training in Singapore on Friday, Arteta confirmed he was optimistic there would be a new arrival to bolster his ranks in the Far East, stating: “Obviously once we have finalised everything with a player we want to integrate him with the team as quickly as possible.”
The Spaniard refused to be drawn on Gyokeres, however, adding: “You know I cannot talk about a player who is not ours yet. Whatever happens in the next few hours I’m sure the club will make a statement about it.”
The Gunners face Newcastle on Sunday in their final match in Singapore – which is expected to come too soon for Gyokeres – before heading to Hong Kong to play Tottenham.
There is a sense, shared by both Arteta and Gyokeres, that there is no time to waste following a lengthy saga that has exhausted all parties.
Arsenal remain unlikely to enter the hunt for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak despite appreciation for the player. Instead, they believe his Swedish international team-mate Gyokeres can grab the goals to end their 21-year wait for the Premier League title next term.
The Gunners might not be done in the market yet, either, as they’re still open to adding a left winger who can also operate as an attacking midfielder.Their interest in Eberechi Eze remains ongoing but the 27-year-old England international has a £68m release clause and Crystal Palace will not negotiate below that figure.Arsenal will seek to raise further cash through player sales with Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Karl Hein among a list of players that are very much available.Around £4m of the £8.7m Arsenal will pay Sporting in add-ons are appearance-related.Further payments will also be due if the 27-year-old hits 20-goal contributions (capped at 40-goal contributions) and if Arsenal qualify for the Champions League during the duration of Gyokeres’ five-year contract at the Emirates.Arsenal were also offered the chance to sign Chelsea target Xavi Simons via agent Ali Barat but the Blues are currently leading the charge for the RB Leipzig attacker, who is also liked by Bayern Munich.
The prolific attacker mustered an astonishing 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting and also registered 28 assists during his two-year spell in Lisbon.
The Sweden international also won back-to-back Primera Liga titles and the Taca de Portugal before going on strike to facilitate his return to England.
Manchester United had shown interest in reuniting Gyokeres with his former boss Ruben Amorim but the player only wanted Arsenal following several rounds of discussions with both Arteta and Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta.
Incredibly, Gyokeres will be the first out-and-out striker signed by the club since January 2018 when Arsenal landed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.
The Gunners had also considered a swoop for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko but they were not prepared to move ahead with a transfer due to the figures that were quoted.
Gyokeres will join Cristhian Mosquera, the 21-year-old Valencia centre-back who has now flown to Singapore to team up with the squad, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard in signing on the dotted line at the Emirates this summer.
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