Viktor Gyokeres reportedly has no intention of accepting a lucrative contract offer from Juventus as he is holding out for a move to Arsenal. The Swedish striker is one of the hottest properties on the transfer market after tearing up the Portuguese top flight for the second year in a row.
Fresh from a two-and-a-half-year stint with Championship side Coventry City, Gyokeres hit the ground running with Sporting and racked up 43 goals in his first season. That total soared to 54 goals in just 52 games last term, putting the 27-year-old ahead of every other centre-forward in a major European league.
Naturally, that level of output has piqued the interest of numerous top sides. Manchester United have been linked, not least due to Gyokeres’ history of success working under Ruben Amorim in Portugal.
Saudi Pro League teams are also in the mix, as well as Italian giants Juventus. Recent reports indicated that Juve had even proposed a whopping £11million-a-year contract to the Gyokeres camp, which equates to just over £210,000 a week.
However, Corriere dello Sport claim that the Sporting goal machine does not plan to take up the Turin club’s offer. Instead, his priority above all else is to sign for Arsenal.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with Gyokeres as new sporting director Andrea Berta is rumoured to be a big fan. But RB Leipzig marksman Benjamin Sesko is also in the equation, and some reports suggest that the Slovenian international has the popular vote among senior figures at the Emirates.
If true, Gyokeres will be forced to play a waiting game. Complicating matters is the internal war going on at Sporting over their star striker’s asking price. Gyokeres and his camp firmly believe that, in 2024, they reached a verbal agreement with the club stating that he could leave this summer for around £65m.
Now, with interested clubs lining up, Sporting are demanding much closer to the full value of his £85m release clause. That has seemingly put the brakes on a move to north London as Arsenal chiefs weigh up their other options.
Arteta began last season with Kai Havertz as his starting striker and ended it with central midfielder Mikel Merino deputising up top due to a lack of options. There is a general feeling that Arsenal need more firepower to haul a title challenge over the line, having finished second in the past three consecutive campaigns.