Arsenal have initiated early summer negotiations to secure Sporting CP’s prolific Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres after their primary target proved unattainable.
Arsenal have quietly shifted their striker pursuit toward Viktor Gyokeres, signalling a decisive change in transfer strategy under new sporting director Andrea Berta. The 26‑year‑old Swede has emerged as Arsenal’s preferred front‑line reinforcement after the club accepted that their first-choice option would remain out of reach.
Manager Mikel Arteta, 43, pinpointed the lack of a consistent finisher as the crucial flaw in Arsenal’s bid to end a 21‑year title drought. Despite mounting 80 points last season, the Gunners fell short of Premier League glory for the third straight campaign, finishing as runners‑up once again.
Originally, Arsenal pursued Newcastle United’s 25‑year‑old forward Alexander Isak, who scored 14 goals in 34 Premier League appearances in 2023/24. Newcastle valued Isak at £150 million and manager Eddie Howe made clear no bid would be entertained, leaving Arsenal to explore alternatives before the summer window.
Since Andrea Berta’s arrival in late March, Arsenal have zeroed in on Gyokeres’s profile: a powerful centre‑forward celebrated for his movement, finishing and link‑up play. Berta, who oversaw top‑level recruitment at previous clubs, views Gyokeres as the clinical striker capable of converting Arsenal’s creativity into goals.
Gyokeres has delivered an outstanding campaign at Sporting CP, netting 47 goals and supplying 11 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions this season. In league action alone, he has amassed 90 goals and 26 assists in 96 matches, and added 11 strikes in 17 European outings, including six in eight Champions League fixtures.
Sporting CP inserted a €100 million release clause in Gyokeres’s contract, but a pre‑arranged agreement with the player and club hierarchy allows a summer exit at a reduced fee of around €65 million to €70 million. That understanding secured Gyokeres’s commitment to Lisbon for the entire 2024/25 campaign.
Meanwhile, Manchester United briefly eyed a reunion between Gyokeres and their former manager before turning their attention to 21‑year‑old Liam Delap. That pivot has left Arsenal with a realistic window to advance talks and present a compelling project to the in‑demand striker.
Champions League qualification remains a key selling point. Arsenal’s top‑four finish last season restored European football’s elite competition to the Emirates, offering Gyokeres the platform to showcase his talents against Europe’s best—a factor likely to tip the scales in Arsenal’s favour.
At 26 years old, Gyokeres combines physical strength and technical finesse. Arsenal plan to integrate him alongside Gabriel Jesus (26) and Bukayo Saka (22) to form a versatile attack capable of adapting to Arteta’s dynamic system and sustaining a relentless title challenge.
Securing Viktor Gyokeres would mark a statement of intent from Arsenal’s recruitment team. It would not only address the glaring need for a proven goalscorer but underline the club’s ambition to compete for domestic and European honours in the seasons ahead.
