'In the next few hours': Arsenal could now make formal bid to sign striker, ready to spend €70m - report
Arsenal are poised to sign a marquee centre-forward during the ongoing transfer window.
The Gunners are yearning for a regular goalscoring striker, and manager Mikel Arteta reportedly wants a solution before the squad travel for the pre-season tour of Asia on July 19.
Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres has been constantly linked with the club, and A Bola (page 12) today claim that the Portuguese champions are still waiting for an official bid from Arsenal.
The Gunners have already had an informal offer of €55 million plus €10m in add-ons (€65m) rejected. It is reported that ‘in the next few hours’, the club could make a formal proposal.
Arsenal are ‘willing to offer’ €60m plus €10m in bonuses (€70m) for the 27-year-old, but Sporting remain firm on their €80m valuation for the striker, who bagged 54 goals and 13 assists last term.
Arsenal could turn focus to Gyokeres amid lack of progress in Sesko talks
Arsenal’s priority striker for the summer is RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, but the club have yet to find a suitable solution. They are reluctant to pay between €80m-100m for the Slovenian ace.
BBC Sport recently reported that Arsenal have made some headway over a move for Gyokeres. Sporting director Andrea Berta believes he could make an instant impact at the club.
Hence, we are not surprised by the speculation that the Gunners could make a formal bid soon.
Meanwhile, Gyokeres’ agent has a sales mandate whereby he will be due 10 percent of any rejected offer of €60m (fixed fee) or above for the striker. The clause is optional.
In case the clause is triggered, Sporting plan to demand Gyokeres’ €100m release clause.
The next few days should be interesting to watch. The Swede has no plans to return for pre-season training at Sporting, but the club are convinced that he will report on July 7.
Hopefully, Arsenal will end the ongoing striker saga soon. The Gunners may have to pay much higher than the planned €70m fee to purchase Gyokeres from Sporting.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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