Arsenal are on the verge of completing the signing of the Swedish striker, having reached an agreement that includes a substantial base fee along with additional performance-related payments. ..Continue Reading
Negotiations were held up due to the details of those bonus clauses, but the deal now appears to be nearing its final stages.
The club’s long-standing search for a reliable centre forward has been a major talking point, with hopes that a consistent goal scorer could be the missing piece in their pursuit of domestic and European success.
Gyokeres joins with an outstanding scoring record, having netted more goals than games played last season.
Although Mourinho praised the forward’s talent, he cautioned that the Premier League presents a far tougher challenge than what Gyokeres faced previously.
Speaking to Portugal’s Channel 11, Mourinho observed that at Sporting, Gyokeres benefited from a system tailored to his strengths, with both Ruben Amorim and Rui Borges shaping the squad to suit his playing style.
‘He’s a great player. I have no doubt,’ Mourinho said.
‘But Sporting had a way of playing very much around him, very adapted. I don’t know what Hugo Viana and Ruben [Amorim] initially thought; he’s a player with great potential.
‘But in England, he’ll play against stronger teams, better players.’
Despite being focused solely on joining Arsenal, Gyokeres has been heavily linked with several other clubs. Manchester United, Juventus, teams from Saudi Arabia, and even Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce have all reportedly shown interest.
Tensions also flared between Sporting CP, Gyokeres, and his representative Hasan Cetinkaya, with Portuguese outlets reporting that the club failed to honor previous transfer commitments.
As a result, Gyokeres opted not to report for pre-season training, and legal action was considered amid the escalating dispute.
Observing the situation from a distance, Mourinho criticized the misinformation surrounding the saga, calling it a battle filled with ‘lies.’
‘Unfortunately, of the 3,400 lies that have been told about the transfer market, one of them is that he’s going to Fenerbahçe,’ Mourinho said.
‘Unfortunately… So many lies, so much interest, so many people working for agents, for clubs… It’s a war that’s not my own.’
