Sporting CP seem to be preparing for life after Viktor Gyokeres as Arsenal close in on the striker.
Gyokeres is reportedly in the latter stages of negotiations with the Gunners, who are said to have agreed a five-year deal with the Swede.
The 27-year-old appears to have now become the north Londoners’ top transfer priority, with a deal for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko seemingly on the backburner.
Manchester United, whose head coach Ruben Amorim managed the Swedish forward at Sporting, have also been in the frame to land the former Coventry City ace, who has scored 97 goals in 102 games since signing for the Portuguese side in 2023.
Sporting's president, Frederico Varandas, admitted over the weekend that there's a "strong likelihood" of Gyokeres departing this summer. He confirmed that they won't necessarily hold out for his release clause, just shy of £85million, either.
That presents a transfer boost for Arsenal after Varandas had previously stated Sporting will not be ‘blackmailed’ into letting their talisman leave for a cheaper fee. Gyokeres himself has reportedly been left frustrated by his club’s high transfer fee demands.
Anticipating the need to fill their potential hole in attack, Sporting have been proactive by moving for Peruvian hotshot Victor Guzman from Alianza Lima.
Following Alianza B team’s recent victory over Universitario Deportes, the 19-year-old voiced his delight about the impending transfer.
Victor Guzman of Alianza Lima
Victor Guzman of Alianza Lima is heading to Sporting CP (Image: Eurasia Sport Images)
He was quoted by A Bola to have said: "I am very happy and excited about what lies ahead, and I will continue to work as I have done so far.
“Sporting is a historic club in Portugal, and it is Cristiano Ronaldo’s club. I don’t have the exact day of my trip to Portugal, but it’s next week.”
He went on to add: “I’m very thankful to Alianza. It's a very nice thing for me to have shared all this time with them. They're great people and I know they'll take this club forward.”
Guzman, who has reportedly signed a three-year contract, has been signed with one eye on the future and is expected to link up with Sporting’s under-23 squad initially.
However, he isn’t the only striker being targeted by Sporting, who are keen on Union Saint-Gilloise's Franjo Ivanovic.
According to Germanijak.HR, Sporting have tabled an offer in the region of £17m for Ivanovic, which falls short of the Belgian outfit's asking price of £25.6m. The competition for the frontman, who bagged 20 goals last season includes teams such as Besiktas and Frankfurt, along with interest from several Italian clubs.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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