Arsenal have a delegation in Portugal to complete the signing of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to reports.
Fabrizio Romano revealed over the weekend that Arsenal are ‘getting closer’ to signing Gyokeres, with the Gunners ‘now advancing’ towards a deal.
After claims that Gyokeres is ‘preparing for the worst’ if a transfer to Arsenal collapses, it’s now reported that the striker – who scored an absurd 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting last season – has agreed a salary with the Premier League club.
According to talkSPORT, Arsenal have a delegation ready to get the transfer over the line, with Gyokeres’ contract length and salary already agreed.
The report says Gyokeres won’t match the £290,000-a-week wage of highest earner Kai Havertz and will instead take home a measly £200,000 per week.
Personal terms are agreed and the Swedish international will sign a five-year deal, keeping him at the Emirates until he’s 32.
It’s added that Manchester United also wanted him – but failed to match the striker’s ambitions:
Viktor Gyokeres is set to net himself a £200,000-a-week deal with Arsenal.
The Gunners are poised to end their three-year search for a No.9 by snapping up Sporting Lisbon ace Gyokeres.
The Swede has already agreed personal terms on a five-year contract with the north London club.
An Arsenal delegation are in Portugal to tie up the signing after opting for Gyokeres ahead of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Gyokeres’ bumper pay packet will put him amongst the Gunners’ top earners, although not on par with £290,000-a-week Kai Havertz.
The 27-year-old was also wanted by his former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim at Manchester United this summer, but the longer-term project at Old Trafford didn’t match the striker’s ambitions to join a team capable of challenging for top honours now.
Meanwhile, former Watford striker Troy Deeney has claimed that Arsenal ‘aren’t sold on Gyokeres’.
Deeney told talkSPORT: “I don’t think they’re sold on Gyokeres, I really don’t. Because you’d just go and get him. You get him done in the same way that Liverpool did with (Florian) Wirtz.
“They just went bang, go and get him, get it finished. I think they’re worried that he’s not the short-term answer or the long-term answer.”
And former United defender Rio Ferdinand is coping by trying to convince himself that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is the better option.
“I’m like a broken record. If anyone listens to my podcast, I’ve said Osimhen for a while now,” he said.
“He’s a centre-forward, he’s experienced, he knows how to score goals at the top level. I’ve seen today that Galatasaray have put a £50million bid in.
“I mean, £50m to get a top-class striker, one of the top strikers in the world, is absolute peanuts in today’s market.
“I’ll be disappointed if he goes to Galatasaray for that type of money when Man United are crying out for a No.9”