Arsenal are poised to sign a marquee centre-forward during the upcoming transfer window.
The Gunners have fallen short of the Premier League title for the past three seasons.
They have lacked the presence of a genuine goalscoring striker. The hierarchy are expected to provide a proper solution for manager Mikel Arteta this summer.
Portuguese outlet O Jogo (page 6) today claim that Viktor Gyokeres is ‘on the verge of a farewell’ and Arsenal ‘lead the race’ to recruit the Sporting CP striker.
The 25-year-old has also been targeted by Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, but Arsenal are ‘pushing’ the most for his signing.
There is a £84 million release clause in Gyokeres’ contract, but sporting director Frederico Varandas is prepared to let the Swede leave Sporting CP for £59m.
Arsenal have to choose between Gyokeres and Sesko
The Gunners have a strong interest in Gyokeres. Sporting director Andrea Berta has identified the Swede as a genuine target to bolster the centre-forward department.
The Swede would be a fabulous acquisition for the Gunners. He registered a stunning 54 goals and 13 assists from just 52 appearances in the recently concluded season.
Gyokeres has benefitted from counter-attacking teams with high lines. He won’t have the same freedom at Arsenal, who tend to come up against low-block defensive sides.
Despite this, he would be an upgrade on Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. A 25 to 30 goal season from Gyokeres would boost the club’s prospects of securing silverware.
The big question is whether Gyokeres is the priority target. Florian Plettenberg recently claimed that Arsenal are in concrete talks with RB Leipzig regarding Benjamin Sesko.
Berta has been in contact with the Bundesliga outfit for the 21-year-old marksman, who accumulated 21 goals and six assists from 45 appearances during the 2024/25 season.
Sesko is far from a finished article compared to Gyokeres but is almost five years younger than the latter and has a higher ceiling.
He is better in the air compared to Gyokeres with his obvious height advantage (195cm to 187cm).
The Slovenian has a commanding presence in the box and can score headed goals. Gyokeres, on the other hand, is better known for his finishing rather than his aerial presence.
Arsenal need to choose between the two. We don’t see the club signing both due to playing time guarantees. We should know more about the Gunners’ preference soon.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
