Arsenal have received a massive boost in their bid to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Portuguese side have started looking for a new striker, which should open the door for Gyokeres to join Arsenal.
Arsenal and Sporting have been in a transfer tussle over Gyokeres since the start of the transfer window.
The Portuguese club have conceded that they will part ways with the prolific striker this summer but will only sanction a sale on their own terms.
Gyokeres dreams of playing for Arsenal, and the Gunners are seriously interested in bringing him to the Emirates Stadium. But Sporting are playing hardball over the transfer fee.
The Gunners made an informal opening bid worth £47 million plus £8.5m in add-ons for the 27-year-old earlier this month, but Sporting are adamant that he won’t be leaving for anything less than £68m.
The Premier League runners-up are expected to return with an improved bid for Gyokeres. But it remains to be seen if they’ll meet Sporting’s asking price.
Gyokeres cemented his position as one of the most lethal strikers on the continent last season. He bagged a staggering 54 goals and weighed in with a further 13 assists in 52 games in all competitions.
He fired Sporting to the Primera Liga title with 39 goals in 33 league games, but that could be his final contribution to the club as he prepares for a new chapter.
Gyokeres is admired by a host of Premier League clubs. He has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. But he has made it clear that he wants to join Arsenal.
The Swedish striker is doing his best to force a move. He has told Sporting that he doesn’t plan on returning to the fold for pre-season.
Personal terms should not be an issue with the striker, and the onus is now on Arsenal to make an improved proposal to persuade Sporting CP to sanction his departure.