Arsenal and Manchester United target Viktor Gyokeres has reportedly decided to ‘refuse’ a move to one club as he has chosen his ‘above all dream’ transfer.
Gyokeres is attracting interest from clubs across Europe ashe is a leading contender to be this year’s top scorer amid his stunning form for Sporting Lisbon.
The 27-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s most prolific strikers, scoring 97 goals in his 102 appearances for Sporting Lisbon over the past two seasons.
Unsurprisingly, Gyokeres’ form has attracted interest from several clubs and Sporting Lisbon are expected to cash in on their prized asset this summer.
Gyokeres hoped that his exit would be seamless as he reportedly had a gentleman’s agreement to leave Sporting for around 70 million euros, but he is said to feel ‘betrayed’ after the Primeira Liga champions went back on this promise.
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This leaves clubs facing paying a higher fee than anticipated for Gyokeres, with Arsenal and Man Utd among the interested clubs.
Reports have indicated that the Gunners are debating whether to sign Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko, while Man Utd are keen to sign the Sporting standout so he can reunite with former head coach Ruben Amorim.
Arsenal and Man Utd also face competition from abroad as it was recently suggested that Serie A giants Juventus have submitted a huge salary offer to lure Gyokeres to Turin.
However, a new report from Italian outlet Gazzetta claims Gyokeres has decided to ‘refuse’ a move to Juventus as he has deemed Arsenal to be his ‘above all dream’ transfer.
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There is still work to do be done as Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon work on a fee, but Gyokeres’ stance is said to give the Gunners a ‘sensational assist’ as they look to secure his services.
However, ex-Man City star Paul Dickov has encouraged Arsenal to sign Sesko over Gyokeres.
He explained: “He’s one of the few strikers in the game who looks like a real, out-and-out No. 9. He’s tall, he’s quick, and he’s strong for a big man. He’s really good technically and he scores goals. Lots of them.
“With his age, you’d think the ceiling would be pretty high in terms of improvement. He’s got good pedigree in the Bundesliga and he did the business when he was given an opportunity in the Champions League, so those are good signs for Arsenal.
“But the thing about Arsenal needing a world class number nine, they’re very hard to get. Any player coming into the Premier League, it’s going to take them time to adjust.
“They’ve been linked with the likes of Sesko, Alvarez, Osimhen and Gyokeres – they’re obviously going to bring in someone – whoever it is, needs to come in and hit the ground running because I think there will be a lot of eyeballs on the player that they do sign.
“The one thing Arsenal have missed out on the last couple of years, stating the obvious, it’s a striker. The task at hand is actually getting one of them through the door.”