Viktor Gyokeres' have reportedly come to light, with Juventus now entering the fray and seemingly preparing to make a bid for the Arsenal-linked striker.
As Mikel Arteta continues his hunt for a new striker to lead his Arsenal team, links with Gyokeres have been constant. The Sweden international has been touted as a target for several months, with Manchester United also reported to be keen.
However, the process surrounding a summer move for the forward has not been straightforward, with the player himself reportedly 'furious' over the actions of Sporting CP's club president, who had a tense exchange with his agent.
We are now reportedly past that stage, and Sporting are prepared to accept their No. 9's move on the terms of a 'gentleman's agreement' below his €100m (£84m) price tag.
While United have been the other team most frequently mentioned at this point, Corriere dello Sport now suggests that Juventus are the new competitors to keep an eye on.
They report that The Old Lady have seven players ready to be sold from their squad, including striker Dusan Vlahovic and midfielder Douglas Luiz. They hope to recoup €60m (£51m) for those two players, reports the Manchester Evening News.
This would then enable them to launch an €80m (£68m) bid for Gyokeres, comprised of a €70m (£59m) upfront fee and €10m (£9m) in add-on bonuses.
Viktor Gyokeres with the Portuguese Cup 2025 Winners Trophy.
Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a move to Arsenal (Image: Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
The situation is described as a 'complex web', but one that's 'worth weaving' given the Swedish international's impressive tally of 97 goals over the past two seasons.
Juve's financial position has been bolstered by the previous sales of Wojceich Szczesny, Federico Chiesa, Arthur Melo, Mattia De Sciglio and Tiago Djalo - all contributing to a significant reduction in the club's wage bill.
Their additional sales this summer will further increase available funds, with Italian sources suggesting they'll then be in a position to meet Gyokeres' expected annual salary of €7.5m (£6.3m) should he make the move to Turin.
This would translate to a weekly wage of around €145k (£120k), providing Arsenal and other suitors with an initial idea of how much Gyokeres might cost them on top of any transfer fee.
Scandinavian outlet FotbollSkanalen suggests this would represent a substantial pay rise from the €2m (£1.7m) the 27-year-old currently earns annually at Sporting.
Portuguese publication A Bola provides clarity on the sell-on clause included in the deal. They report that Sporting initially agreed to give Championship side Coventry City 15 percent of any future earnings from the sale of Gyokeres.
This percentage was reduced to 10 per cent last summer and despite some reports suggesting the agreement was no longer in place, it's understood to still be active, meaning Coventry could stand to gain a 'significant' sum from a transfer.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have reportedly declined the opportunity to pursue a deal for Gyokeres. The Athletic states that Gyokeres was offered to Los Blancos as they hunt for a new striker.
However, Xabi Alonso's side have decided not to pursue him. It's reported that while they 'like him', they've dismissed him due to his high price tag and his insistence on being a first-team player.
football.london understands that Benjamin Sesko is also of interest to Arsenal, as well as Gyokeres. Sesko is believed to be favoured by the Arsenal hierarchy, although no concrete progress has been made on any deal as things stand.