New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is wasting no time in looking for a new striker, with David Ornstein revealing on the day of his appointment a player who is already becoming a ‘more prominent’ target for the Gunners.
Finding a new, reliable centre-forward will be one of Berta’s big priorities after he was announced as Arsenal’s new sporting director on Sunday. The former Atletico Madrid chief will need to bring in an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus to boost Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League title in 2025/26.
Arsenal simply have to be looking at the elite category if they really want to improve their options in the no.9 position and it sounds like they’re aiming high after all.
According to trusted reporter Ornstein, Arsenal are ‘developing a strong interest’ in signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.
Gyokeres has scored an astonishing 42 goals from 42 games this season, so has become one of the most in-demand centre-forwards in circulation as he approaches his 27th birthday ahead of next season.
And, writing for The Athletic, Ornstein says Berta is a long-term admirer of Gyokeres and – for various reasons – will make him ‘a more prominent candidate than he might have been in the past’.
Ornstein notes that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a big admirer of Alexander Isak, but Newcastle United are unwilling to even think of selling Gyokeres’ compatriot as things stand.
A cheaper alternative to Isak would be Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but it’s reiterated that there’s a lot of competition for the Slovenia international.
And after Arsenal missed out on Ollie Watkins and Alvaro Morata in January, it all now points in the direction of a move for Gyokeres, who used to play for Brighton, Swansea and Coventry City and looks destined to finally get a consistent chance to prove himself in the Premier League.
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Arsenal transfer latest: Gyokeres a serious target
Ornstein is one of the very best sources out there, especially for (but not limited to) Arsenal news. Therefore, it’s safe to say Gyokeres is seriously under consideration at the Emirates Stadium.
Indeed, sources have already told TEAMtalk that Arsenal have Gyokeres on their shortlist, even though they have been unsure about his price tag.
Furthermore, Arsenal won’t be his only suitors, with interest from the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest recently shared by sources. And that’s in addition to the prospect of him reuniting with Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.
But Geovany Quenda, bound for Chelsea in 2026, has already shown that Sporting’s top talents won’t all necessarily follow Amorim if they want to come to the Premier League.
Gyokeres’ stance on a potential move to Arsenal remains to be seen, but Berta and the board will be doing a lot of work on the Sweden international between now and the summer transfer window.
Latest Arsenal transfer news
The update on Gyokeres comes after a plethora of updates about other strikers Arsenal could be confident of landing.
One report revealed they have held talks with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, who looks destined to stay in the Premier League even if his current side suffer relegation.
Another claimed that Sesko has chosen a move to the Premier League as his preference, with Arsenal in a five-horse race to sign the giant.
And towering Udinese frontman Lorenzo Lucca has also been linked with Arsenal this week as part of a double Serie A swoop.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will sign more than one striker this summer, especially since there were doubts about the levels of Jesus and Kai Havertz before their season-ending injuries anyway.
In other news, Ornstein has confirmed Arsenal are expecting to complete the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad to strengthen their midfield.
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