Arsenal could sign Viktor Gyokeres today for €60m (£51m) despite comments from the Sporting CP president, according to reports.
The Gunners have lined up deals for midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, while Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to join from Chelsea.
A new centre-forward remains at the top of their agenda as Arsenal look to bring in a top-class goalscoring striker ahead of the new campaign.
Sporting CP’s Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko are the main two options, while Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has also been linked.
A deal for Gyokeres, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United, has been difficult for clubs to agree this summer with Sporting reportedly demanding €80m to get a deal over the line.
It is understood that Gyokeres believed that there was a gentleman’s agreement in place that would see Sporting accept any bids reaching €70m – but the Portuguese club appear to have changed their mind, to the fury of the Sweden international.
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Sporting president Frederico Varandas said over the weekend that Gyokeres “will not leave for €60+€10 million” this summer as they look to pull in a bigger fee.
Varandas said: “Sporting is very calm about Gyokeres. Sporting does not need to sell Gyokeres.
“We have already passed the stage where we had to sell our best assets. We do not have to sell him. In the same way that we do not have to sell him, we are still sensitive to Viktor ‘s dreams.
“Sporting has a commitment, made by the president, not to ask for the value of the termination clause and to be reasonable in relation to Viktor’s performance last season.
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“If you ask me today, there is a strong possibility that Viktor will leave. We have been keeping an eye on the market, I saw a player like Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, go to Arsenal for €65 million (£55m).
“I saw two players being sold in the Premier League – Matheus Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo – forwards who do not have the quality of Viktor, in my opinion, were sold for around €70m.
“We are talking about players who are 26 years old. So, given the demands we are making in relation to Viktor ‘s value, I believe he could leave, unless he has the worst agent in the world. Which I find hard to believe.
“I won’t say what the price we asked for. It was communicated to the agent. But I can guarantee that Viktor will not leave for €60+€10 million. Viktor already knows and I want Sporting fans to take advantage of this summer, in which they are two-time champions, in which they have a double, to celebrate, to be calm.
“There are only two scenarios: one club respects the price requested by Sporting and Viktor will fulfil his dream, and from that moment we will be ready to attack the targets, or that club does not want Viktor and Viktor, with a three-year contract, stays at Sporting and we will be very happy.”
But Tuesday’s edition of Portuguese newspaper A Bola claims that Gyokeres’ €60m release clause is ‘active from today’ with the report adding that if Arsenal (or another club) ‘makes a proposal of that magnitude and Sporting refuses, they will have to compensate Gyokeres’ agent with 1o per cent of the value of the offer’.
Arsenal are ‘willing to reach this amount’ but Sporting Lisbon ‘remain firm in only letting the 27-year-old striker leave for 80m’.
The report adds: ‘Today, the famous 60 million euro clause is active, and Sporting has already warned that if it is activated, they will demand 100 million euros from the termination of the contract to let Gyokeres leave. In other words, if the Swede’s agent really asks for the 10 per cent compensation, the Lions will force the exit to the limit, something that for now they still admit to doing below, at 80 million euros.’