During the pre-season friendly between Arsenal and AC Milan at the National Stadium in Singapore, a curious phenomenon captured everyone’s attention. At halftime, the stadium implemented a “Hug Cam”, urging fans to hug each other. However, many Arsenal supporters opted for a different celebration: imitating the characteristic goal celebration of Viktor Gyökeres, the Sporting CP striker, whose name has resonated strongly in the pre-season of the London club, despite not yet being a “Gunner” player.
In the midst of an event for Arsenal fans in an Irish bar, the news of a possible deal for the Swedish striker generated great enthusiasm. Although the celebration was premature, sources close to Alofoke Deportes confirm significant progress in the negotiations between Arsenal and Sporting. The deal is expected to be officialized soon.
The transfer could be around an initial 63.5 million euros, with an additional 10 million in variables. The hope was to close the signing before the team traveled to London, but the situation has been prolonged. Why so long?
Arsenal have needed a striker for a while. The club decided not to pursue another target after Benjamin Sesko chose to stay at RB Leipzig. This decision was revisited in January, following Gabriel Jesus’ injury. Although the possibility of signing Sesko was explored, he would not move mid-season; Gyökeres wouldn’t either before the summer.
The sporting director Edu was replaced by Andrea Berta. It is common for a club to evaluate several potential targets. Gyökeres emerged as a serious candidate. His impressive goalscoring numbers in Portugal have consolidated him: 97 goals in 102 matches and two league titles.La saga del traspaso de Viktor Gyökeres al Arsenal parece estar cerca de su fin. ¿Por qué se ha tardado tanto?Why has it taken so long to finalize the agreement?
Gyökeres’ release clause, set at 100 million euros, gave Sporting a strong position in the negotiations. Sporting’s president, Frederico Varandas, insisted that the fee should reflect his status as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers. Arsenal considered the valuation, around 80 million euros, to be too high, which prolonged the negotiations. The parties involved tried to reduce the gap.
Gyökeres’ agents waived their share of the initial fee, saving Sporting 6.35 million euros. The striker himself rejected interest from other clubs and informed Sporting of his desire not to show up for pre-season training. Once Sporting accepted a deal of 63.5 million euros plus 10 million in variables, these became the focus of lengthy conversations.
Various options were explored, such as a clause that would be activated if Gyökeres won the Premier League Golden Boot, another if he won the Ballon d’Or, and a third if Arsenal won the Premier League. On several occasions, Arsenal believed they were close to a deal, but the parameters changed. Sporting often demanded more achievable variables.Los aficionados del Arsenal esperan ansiosamente la llegada de Viktor Gyökeres al club.
What’s next?
After the match against Milan, Declan Rice revealed that even the team lacked clarity on Gyökeres’ situation. “We can only focus on the players who are here. We don’t know what’s going on. If I knew, I’d say, but I’m focusing on the players we have. If he comes, it would be very good. For now, we have a very strong team. Let’s see what happens.”
The wait is about to end. Sources say there is optimism that Gyökeres can join the tour to start acclimatizing with his new teammates. This will also have an impact on the current squad, especially on Kai Havertz, who has worked on his physique to be a more solid option in Arsenal’s attack.
The focus will be on Gyökeres if he joins before the match against Newcastle United in Singapore or next Thursday against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong. Fans have already been practicing their welcome.
