Arsenal are not yet home and hosed in their battle for Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The Gunners are in dire need of a striker after heading into the season just gone with a reliance on Kai Havertz adapting his natural game to fill the no.9 role.
Injuries to the Germany international and back-up striker, Gabriel Jesus, only exposed the deficiency further. The issue was widely deemed to be behind Arsenal’s inability to provide a tougher challenge to Liverpool in the Premier League.
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Chelsea cause Arsenal worry with Viktor Gyokeres
Reports from Portuguese outlet A Bola have established Arsenal as the frontrunners for Gyokeres’ signature, with an €8m-a-year salary reportedly on the table.
The Sweden international – ranked at no.6 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best strikers in the world right now – is reported to be prioritising a move to the Premier League.
As with any transfer ever these days, that means Chelsea are also well in the mix, and recent moves will be enough to strike fear at the Emirates Stadium.
According to Portuguese newspaper Record, as quoted by Sport Witness, both Chelsea and Juventus have made recent approaches for Gyokeres.
The striker is thought to have a €100m release clause in his contract, but Sporting president Frederico Varandas has been widely reported as stating he would accept a lower sum.
The Gunners will be buoyed by the fact that Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap appears to be on the way to Stamford Bridge, according to The Athletic, which may stem the Blues’ insatiable transfer appetite as far as strikers go, but Arsenal still do not have bags of time to waste in tying up Gyokeres.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Arsenal need to get the Gyokeres deal over the line quickly.
He has 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games for Sporting this season, and a president who seems ready to do business; if the Gunners don’t get it done, someone else will.
A striker is the only thing standing in the way of Mikel Arteta having one of the most talented and well-balanced squads in Europe. Get it done, and the Arsenal manager’s elusive second major trophy should follow; it could be as simple as that.
Gyokeres is valued at €75m, according to Transfermarkt.
