
Arsenal Make Viktor Gyokeres Breakthrough: Gunners in Advanced Talks with Sporting CP After Agreeing Personal Terms with Wantaway Striker
The Viktor Gyokeres Saga Nears a Turning Point as Arsenal Push to Finalise Deal Before Pre-Season Tour
There’s a familiar hum to summer transfer windows in North London—a blend of optimism, speculation, and the faint smell of fresh hope. But this year, the buzz around Arsenal has a little more bite to it. With the Gunners pressing hard to close the gap between potential and silverware, their pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres is finally taking shape. The club is now in advanced talks with Sporting CP and, crucially, has agreed personal terms with the wantaway striker, paving the way for what could be one of the most talked-about moves of the summer.
Arsenal Zero In on Their Man
According to The Athletic, Arsenal have reached a verbal agreement with Gyokeres on a five-year contract, believed to be worth a substantial wage bump for the Swedish international. It’s a deal that has been simmering since early June but now appears to be boiling over, with negotiations between the Premier League club and Sporting CP accelerating behind the scenes.
Sources close to the deal suggest Sporting, Portugal’s reigning champions, are still holding out for a sizable transfer fee—reportedly in the region of €100 million, thanks to the striker’s release clause. Arsenal are believed to be exploring structured payment options, potentially including performance-related add-ons to meet the Lisbon club’s demands.
But with personal terms no longer an obstacle, there’s a growing sense of inevitability around this one.
“We’ve known all summer that Arsenal have been circling,” one source close to Sporting told Goal. “Now, it feels like they’re ready to pull the trigger.”
Mikel Arteta Wants Business Done Early
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Mikel arteta
It’s no secret that Mikel Arteta is eager to bolster his squad well ahead of the Gunners’ pre-season tour of Asia. With a tight turnaround between the end of the Euros and the start of the Premier League season, timing is everything—and Arteta wants his new signings integrated early.
“Mikel doesn’t want a repeat of last year,” said one club insider. “We were still doing deals deep into August. This year, he wants the full squad in by the time we land in Singapore.”
That’s where Viktor Gyokeres comes in. The former Coventry City man has blossomed in Portugal, scoring 43 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions last season and helping Sporting CP secure the Liga Portugal title. More than just a goal machine, Gyokeres has matured into a complete forward—mobile, physical, and devastating in transition. It’s easy to see why Arteta has made him a top priority.
A Striker Ready to Move On
It’s not just Arsenal pushing to get the deal over the line—Gyokeres himself is reportedly keen to make the leap to the Premier League. According to The Sun, the 26-year-old may even skip the start of pre-season at Sporting’s Cristiano Ronaldo Academy HQ in an effort to force through the move.
That decision, if it happens, would mark a dramatic step in the saga and send a clear signal of the striker’s intentions. While no formal transfer request has been submitted, Gyokeres’s camp has made it clear: he wants the next chapter of his career to be in North London.
Sporting, for their part, are reluctant sellers—but they’re also realists. They know that keeping a player who’s openly looking elsewhere is rarely a recipe for success.
Why Arsenal Want Gyokeres

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It’s no mystery why Arsenal are in the market for a striker. Despite their strong campaign last season, goals in big moments often eluded them. Gabriel Jesus, while technically gifted, has struggled with fitness and finishing consistency. Eddie Nketiah has had flashes but not quite the sustained impact a title-challenging side needs.
Enter Gyokeres—a different profile entirely. At 6’2”, with pace to burn and a knack for punishing mistakes, he offers something the current crop of Arsenal forwards doesn’t: a genuine physical presence paired with an elite-level scoring instinct. His ability to run the channels and stretch defenses could also create more room for Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard to operate centrally—something Arteta’s system thrives on.
“He’s not just a battering ram,” said one scout who followed Gyokeres last season. “He’s smart. He presses well, he links play, and he’s clinical. Arsenal haven’t had a forward like him since peak Olivier Giroud—only quicker and more explosive.”
The Road Ahead: Pre-Season Friendlies and the Race Against Time
As the Gunners prepare to fly to Singapore, time is of the essence. They’ll face AC Milan on July 23 and Newcastle United on July 27 before heading to Hong Kong for a spicy North London derby against Tottenham in early August.
Arteta’s goal is to have Gyokeres on the plane, not watching from home. The club hopes to complete negotiations with Sporting CP this week, or at least lay down a final structure acceptable to all parties.
If that happens, the new signing would have just enough time to meet his teammates, adapt to Arteta’s demands, and begin building chemistry with a group that came agonizingly close to lifting the Premier League trophy last season.
A Statement Signing
Whether the deal crosses the line in the coming days or drags into mid-July, one thing is clear: this is a statement of intent from Arsenal. They’re not just aiming to compete. They’re aiming to win. And to do that, they need difference-makers—players who can tilt tight matches, grind out results, and deliver in the biggest moments.
Viktor Gyokeres ticks every box. And if Arteta gets his man, the Premier League better take notice.
Final Thoughts
Transfers like these aren’t just about filling a position. They’re about signaling ambition. About telling your rivals—and your own dressing room—that you’re not here to finish second.
With Gyokeres on the verge, Arsenal look set to make the first major splash of the summer window. The breakthrough has been made. Now it’s about closing the deal.
Because as Arteta and Arsenal fans alike know all too well—the margins at the top are razor-thin. And this time, they intend to be on the right side of history.
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