Arsenal are widely anticipated to sign a marquee striker during the summer transfer window.
The Gunners struggled in the final third last campaign, and Kai Havertz was the top scorer in the Premier League with only nine goals.
The club need an upgrade ahead of next season, and they are considering two options to bolster the centre-forward department.
RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko is Arsenal’s priority target, and ‘concrete talks‘ are ongoing to find an agreement with the German outfit.
Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres appears to be the fallback option. He has given his ‘verbal agreement‘, but the Gunners have not made a move.
Amidst this, Record (page 6) claim that Gyokeres has informed Sporting CP that ‘he won’t play for the club’ again as ‘he feels let down’ by the promise.
Sporting CP had a gentleman’s agreement to sell Gyokeres for £51 million plus £8.5m in add-ons.
However, they have now set an asking price of £68m for the 27-year-old amid interest from Arsenal, Juventus, Manchester United and Al Hilal.
Gyokeres has no desire to wear the Sporting CP shirt anymore. He feels disrespected, having had an agreement over the price since September.
Arsenal may not consider move for Gyokeres at higher price
The Gunners are presently negotiating with Leipzig for Sesko. No formal offer has been made.
The Bundesliga giants are holding out for his £68 million release clause, but Arsenal remain optimistic about negotiating a lower price and a long-term payment plan.
They are the only club in discussions with Leipzig, and it remains to be seen whether an agreement can be reached. The 22-year-old has already given the green light for a summer move.
Gyokeres has likewise opened the door to join the Gunners. He is more experienced than Sesko at 27 and had a brilliant 2024/25 campaign with 54 goals from just 52 outings for Sporting CP.
However, there are still doubts whether he can adapt to the higher intensity and physicality of the Premier League. Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez is an example of a striker who has struggled since his move to the English top flight from the Primeira Liga. He netted 34 goals in his final campaign at Benfica.
It is fairly clear that Sesko is the primary target for Arsenal, with Gyokeres being the backup. However, the Gunners could have second thoughts about pursuing a deal for the latter if the price has been raised.
Gyokeres is now valued at the same price tag (£68m) as Sesko, as per The Record. Mikel Arteta’s side could explore a potential alternative to the Swede if talks were to break down for Sesko.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com