A fresh update has surfaced regarding Viktor Gyokeres’ future, and it’s certainly an unexpected twist.
The 26-year-old Swedish striker has attracted attention from a number of elite clubs following a standout season at Sporting CP, where he has delivered an impressive 43 goals and 11 assists in as many matches.
Back in January, there were strong rumours linking him to Manchester United, largely due to his previous working relationship with United manager Ruben Amorim during their time together in Lisbon. ..Continue Reading
Despite the speculation, a transfer never came to pass.
In December, Portuguese publication A Bola reported that Gyökeres had a €100 million (£83m) release clause, a fee that could have secured his departure during the winter window.
The report also indicated that Sporting might be open to negotiating a summer transfer for a lower sum—around €70 million (£58m) plus potential add-ons.
Now, there’s a new development on his price tag.
As per The Sun, Sporting are now prepared to let the striker go for a fee in the range of £55 million to £70 million.
This decision is reportedly a gesture of appreciation for Gyökeres’ loyalty after staying put despite significant winter interest from bigger clubs.
His next destination remains uncertain, but according to The Mail, Gyökeres is leaning towards a move to Arsenal rather than Manchester United, with the North London side expected to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Arsenal’s transfer activity this summer will be directed by their newly appointed sporting director Andrea Berta, who officially took the role on March 30.
Head coach Mikel Arteta also shed light on the club’s summer transfer strategy during a press conference on Tuesday.
“The way we planned the five first summers, they were going to be very big and they were going to have different objectives because the turnaround of players and the objective of those windows was going to be different,” said Arteta.
“But now when you are going to go again, we want to increase the depth of the squad but as well we want to increase the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step. It’s going to be a big one and we are very excited about it.”
