Viktor Gyökeres leaving Sporting CP has slowed down to a complete halt over the past week.
Whilst claims that he prioritises a move to Arsenal have been made on a daily basis, none of that is new and it just an exercise in repetition. Since the declaration of war between the player’s agent and Sporting, and the Gunners realising they couldn’t sign the striker as cheaply as had been suggested to them, nothing has really happened.
Manchester United remain linked, although, again, there’s nothing imminent or new in reports of Ruben Amorim being interested in taking Gyökeres to Old Trafford. Similar can be said of Juventus, with their interest burning hot and fast in the Italian media, from the Sweden international being splashed across front pages to barely being mentioned at all.
It’s worth noting what is being reported today in Portuguese newspapers, with a mix about what’s going on… and what isn’t, for both Arsenal and Manchester United.
Let’s start off with the most excitable, although not the most reliable, Correio da Manhã.
Their Monday edition reports Arsenal want Gyökeres for their pre-season trip to Asia. To try and achieve that, it’s claimed the Gunners are ‘preparing to make another offer’ for the Sweden international. Of course, their first offer was said to only be verbal, and worth €55m plus €10m in bonuses.
Mikel Arteta is described as pushing for the striker to be signed in time for the Asia tour, so he can work with him ahead of the new season.
The first match of Arsenal’s Asia tour is on July 23rd against AC Milan in Singapore, so exactly a month from now. Perhaps more interestingly, with the above claims feeling like they’re based on assumption rather than information, Sporting return to pre-season training on July 1st, which will be a crunch time for the Gyökeres drama.
Monday’s edition of Correio da Manhã doesn’t mention Manchester United interest but today’s Jornal de Notícias does.
JN state Arsenal haven’t given up on Gyökeres and he’s their priority target. Manchester United are said to be waiting for a possible failure from the Gunners, but it’s then claimed: ‘In the next few days, the London club should make a new offer.’
Record, who have probably been the best on this saga, don’t try to talk up any impending offers. The Portuguese newspaper merely report that according to their information (likely from the player’s camp), Gyökeres is following a daily training schedule in Stockholm and working to be ready for what he hopes will be a new club soon.
Over at O Jogo, they cover claims from the English media of Arsenal’s move for Benjamin Šeško, and subsequently a potential return for Gyökeres being possible. Manchester United and Juventus interest is mentioned but there’s nothing new to add.
It’s similar for A Bola, with them concentrating on the player’s holiday training.
In Italy, after the Juventus reporting spike last week, neither of Monday’s editions of Gazzetta dello Sport or Turin newspaper Tuttosport even mention Viktor Gyökeres.
Corriere dello Sport do, but just to say ‘Gyökeres is only waiting for Arsenal’.