William Gallas has suggested that Arsenal's success this season could depend on how quickly Viktor Gyokeres adapts to the physical demands of English football, should the move go through.
Arsenal and Sporting Clube de Portugal have been in negotiations for some time over a deal for Gyokeres.
While a final agreement was reputedly on the verge of being been reached, reports in Portugal have suggested otherwise.
On Monday evening, Portuguese newspaper Record reported both clubs were still some way apart about the way in which the add-ons were going to be structured - and that the move could even be in danger of collapsing altogether.
Although it's been reported that a fee of €63.5m plus €10m in add-ons had been 'agreed', those bonuses are described as being 'difficult to reach.'
It's reported that only €5m (£4m) would be 'easily achievable.'
However, Sporting are reportedly still willing to continue negotiations, recognising Gyökeres’ strong desire to join Arsenal.
Meanwhile, A Bola claims the Swedish striker is not considering any other options to advance his career.
Speaking about the prospect of the Swede joining Arsenal, Gallas told Genting Casino: "He’s not just making one step. Going from Sporting to Arsenal right now is more like two or three steps.
"He will be playing against defenders who are really strong, maybe the strongest. In the first season, he will need to adapt.
"He’s tall, he’s massive, so I may get attacked for saying this but in Portugal, he had a much bigger advantage on the defenders. He will need to adapt to the Premier League defenders quickly.
"There’s a chance that his second year is much stronger than his first year at Arsenal. But Arsenal will not be wanting to wait for a major trophy any longer.
"And the signing of a striker is seen as that last piece of the puzzle to do exactly that.
"I hope that, if he comes in, he hits the ground running. We’ve all been waiting for Arsenal to sign a killer. Only time will tell if Gyokeres is an assassin in the Premier League."
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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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