Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Sporting Lisbon hotshot Viktor Gyokeres ahead of a potential transfer, according to TEAMTalk.
Sporting Lisbon beat Everton to the signing of Sweden international Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, and the striker has hit the ground running since landing in Lisbon from Coventry City.
The striker has scored 15 goals in 17 appearances so far this season, justifying his summer signing by the Portuguese giants. Multiple sides have been placed on alert by the form shown by the 25-year-old Swede, including sides in the Premier League.
Journalist Ekrem Konur reports, via TeamTalk, that Arsenal are among three Premier League sides keeping tabs on the striker, with the other two being Newcastle United and Fulham.
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are willing to sell striker Eddie Nketiah to help fund their bid to sign Gyokeres in 2024, in order to stay within UEFA’s Financial Fair Play guidelines.
Nketiah has been a decent striker since his promotion to the first-team squad, but he does not have the quality to be Arsenal’s main source of goals. Arsenal have identified this, and are prepared to let go of the 24-year-old, who came through their academy.
They will be willing to sell him in January, if a suitable bid arrives, and they will then make a move to sign another striker with Gyokeres emerging as a serious option.
Arsenal have been linked with multiple targets, including Juventus ace Dusan Vlahovic and RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko, as well as Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen.
The Gunners may prioritise a move for Gyokeres, who has experienced English football and may be relatively cheaper than the rest of their targets.
Sporting Lisbon included a release clause of around £87 million in the contract signed by the Swede in the summer, but it’s highly unlikely any club will pay that kind of money for the striker.
Coventry City also retain a sizeable percentage in sell-on fees, meaning that the Portuguese club will be keen to maximise their profit on the striker when they eventually sell him.
Viktor Gyokeres; a quality striker
After a hugely impressive season in the Championship with Coventry City, it was a surprise that many sides did not try to sign Gyokeres. The Sweden international had scored 21 goals to lead an unheralded side to the Championship playoff final.
Following his transfer to Sporting Lisbon, he has kept a low profile while continuing to perform at a high level for the side. He has now scored 15 goals in 17 appearances, adding seven assists for the side.
Gyokeres is not expected to remain a Sporting Lisbon player for very long, and it appears Arsenal could be ready to try and lure him back to England as they look to bolster their attack.
