Arsenal are not sold on their potential deal to sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer as “they’re worried” he’s not the “answer”, according to one pundit.
The Gunners are looking to wrap up a transfer for Gyokeres soon after completing deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi, while Brentford’s Christian Norgaard is closing in on a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed over the weekend that Arsenal are ‘getting closer’ to signing Gyokeres with the Gunners ‘now advancing’ towards a deal.
Romano wrote on X: ‘Arsenal are now getting closer to signing Viktor Gyökeres after new round of talks in recent hours. Gyökeres will NOT return for training at Sporting as he’s fully focused on leaving the club; Arsenal are now advancing. Nothing done yet but discussions underway.’
The transfer expert added: ‘More on Viktor Gyökeres big news. Gyökeres has reached TOTAL agreement with Arsenal on contract terms and informed Sporting about his desire to join #AFC. No intention to discuss other options, only to proceed with Arsenal as soon as possible. Deal well underway.’
After claims that Gyokeres is ‘preparing for the worst’ if a transfer to Arsenal collapses, former Premier League striker Troy Deeney insists that Arsenal aren’t “sold” on the Sweden international, having also been in for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
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Deeney told talkSPORT: “I don’t think they’re sold on Gyokeres, I really don’t. Because you’d just go and get him. You get him done in the same way that Liverpool did with (Florian) Wirtz.
“They just went bang, go and get him, get it finished. I think they’re worried that he’s not the short-term answer or the long-term answer.”
And Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand still thinks the Red Devils would be in a better position if they signed Napoli striker Victor Osimhen over Arsenal target Gyokeres.
Ferdinand told talkSPORT: “I’m like a broken record. If anyone listens to my podcast, I’ve said Osimhen for a while now.
“He’s a centre-forward, he’s experienced, he knows how to score goals at the top level. I’ve seen today that Galatasaray have put a £50million bid in.
“I mean, £50m to get a top-class striker, one of the top strikers in the world, is absolute peanuts in today’s market.
“I’ll be disappointed if he goes to Galatasaray for that type of money when Man United are crying out for a No.9”
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On Gyokeres, Ferdinand added: “I’ll be disappointed to miss out on Gyokeres if we don’t get a No.9 in. But if we got Osimhen, then I wouldn’t be too concerned.”
Speaking about Man Utd’s slow transfer business in recent weeks, Ferdinand continued: “Listen, Rome wasn’t built in a day, was it? People can get frustrated, but there’s still a lot of time left in the window.
“Obviously you’d like to get your business done early, which would be great, but I don’t think everything pans out like that and you’ve got to be extremely lucky for that to happen.
“We’ve got Cunha in, it seems like the club are adamant that they want to get Mbeumo, but they want to get the deal done at the right price that suits the club, that’s what’s part of negotiations and getting that done.
“I think ideally, you’d like to see stuff done in the background and you just announce a signing, but it’s not been that way for Manchester United.
“I think if we do get him, he’s the type of player that I’ve been screaming about for probably over a year now, in terms of type of player, who’s mobile, who’s dynamic, aggressive and can score goals, and is going to add value to the team.
“So I’m hopeful that that gets done, but I would still like to see a centre forward signed at the football club.”