Claims Arsenal have lodged an offer that would meet Sporting CP’s asking price for Viktor Gyokeres have prompted a quickfire response from the club’s vice-president.
Gyokeres is one of two high profile strikers Arsenal’s hunt for a potent new frontman has boiled down to. Alexander Isak was Mikel Arteta’s dream target, though the Swede will be staying put in Newcastle after the Magpies secured Champions League qualification.
As such, Sky Germany revealed Arsenal have switched focus to Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Gyokeres can be signed for around €65m-€70m via a verbal pact made between he, his agents and Sporting CP last summer.
The informal agreement ensures Gyokeres can leave for the aforementioned sums which are some way below his €100m release clause.
The flipside of the agreement was Gyokeres would remain in Lisbon for the full 2024/25 campaign and that decision has since been vindicated, with Gyokeres firing Sporting to a league and cup double this season.
However, it now means Gyokeres can depart for a figure well below his true market value and Arsenal are circling.
And according to Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha, Arsenal have already laid their cards on the table when meeting with the striker’s agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, in Lisbon last weekend.
It was claimed The Gunners have presented an offer ‘‘worth around €70m, plus a target-based fee. The player is expected to receive a signing bonus of €12m, an annual salary of €7m and a five-year contract.’
A bid of the size stipulated would be enough to meet the requirements in Sporting’s verbal pact with Gyokeres.
However, Sporting’s vice-president, Francisco Salgado Zenha, has now insisted that if such an offer has been presented behind the scenes, he’s certainly not aware of it.
Furthermore, the Sporting chief fired a warning to Arsenal and all other suitors when insisting Sporting will not sell Gyokeres if they don’t wish to, irrespective of the verbal pact.
“He has three more years on his contract,” Zenha told reporters (as cited by Goal). “At the moment, there are no offers, he has three more years on his contract.
“I think the answer has been given. [Sporting’s transfer plans] won’t be any different from last year. We want to keep the best players and retain talent. We want to continue to be champions, have competitive teams and fight on all fronts.
“I have been in this role for seven years. In the years when Sporting were champions, we even made fewer sales than in other years.”
He continued: “The fact that we are champions gives us a greater ability to retain players and talent.
“Coincidence or not, we have not had to sell any players in those times. Not that we have not received offers, but the market is not under our control, we are always dependent.”
Latest Arsenal news – Martin Zubimendi medical
In other news, The BBC have confirmed Arsenal are in the process of organising a medical for Martin Zubimendi.
The classy midfield maestro – who Liverpool failed to sign last summer – has already agreed personal terms.
Zubimendi will cost £51m via his release clause and per the report, the structure of payments has already been finalised between Arsenal and Real Sociedad.
The latest on that story – along with what other deals Arsenal are working on – can be found here.