The final hurdle in the protracted Viktor Gyokeres saga has been cleared.
Arsenal and Sporting CP have a full agreement in place for the Swedish striker’s transfer, sources told David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The two clubs previously struck a deal that would see the Gunners pay €63.5 million up front, but additional talks were needed to iron out the conditions surrounding the €10 million in add-ons that Arsenal agreed to pay.
Gyokeres has now been given permission by Sporting to travel to complete the signing. He’s expected to undergo a medical on Saturday.
He’ll wear the No. 14 shirt, a number made iconic at Arsenal by club legend Thierry Henry, Ornstein adds.
Negotiations with Sporting weren’t straightforward throughout this process.
Gyokeres didn’t report to preseason training in an effort to push the deal through. He believed a gentleman’s agreement was in place with the Portuguese side, which allowed him to leave if a club arrived with an offer worth an initial €60 million.
Sporting president Frederico Varandas eventually verbally agreed to an overall package for the Swedish striker, but talks still weren’t over between the two clubs. Sporting quibbled with the add-on payments tied into the offer to ensure there was a clear possibility of receiving the extra €10 million. Gyokeres’ agent waived his commission to help get the deal done, Ornstein reports.
Gyokeres emerged as Arsenal’s top center-forward target this summer as Mikel Arteta identified the position as the main area that needed an upgrade for his team to make the leap from runners-up to Premier League champions.
Arsenal have finished second in England’s top flight in each of the last three seasons, with their lack of a true No. 9 often cited as their biggest weakness.
Gyokeres has developed into one of the most prolific players in Europe since moving to Sporting from Coventry City in 2023. He scored 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions last season as Sporting won a domestic double.
The rapid center-forward will be Arsenal’s sixth senior signing of the summer. Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta have already completed deals for winger Noni Madueke, midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, defender Cristhian Mosquera, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.