According to Football Insider, Arsenal have reportedly opened talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres in a bid to wrap up an early deal for the striker. New sporting director Andrea Berta is eager to land a No.9 and the Swedish striker could be his first piece of business since joining the club.
Arsenal are into the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 and they have reached here by beating Real Madrid in the quarterfinals. The Gunners are also second in the Premier League standings, and those positions have been achieved without a recognised centre-forward, something new sporting director Andrea Berta is keen to address.
Berta has already begun work in identifying a few targets including the rather expensive Alexander Isak, Ollie Watkins and Viktor Gyokeres. Newcastle United are ready to price out suitors with an exorbitant asking price, while there are some reported doubts from Mikel Arteta to continue the pursuit of Watkins.
Gyokeres has reportedly approved the idea of joining Arsenal, as credible links have emerged over the recent period. The Swedish striker has a €100 million release clause written into his Sporting CP contract, although Fabrizio Romano reported that a €65-70 million package could seal the move.
Arsenal were poised to open talks with Sporting CP for the highly-rated 26-year-old goal machine who has 47 goals and 11 assists across all competitions. The Gunners may have narrowed their search down to the Swedish striker, as things could get moving in the right direction.
Arsenal are not the only team in town chasing Gyokeres, as teams like Chelsea are interested in the Swede, while Ruben Amorim at Manchester United is keen to reunite with his former No.9. The Gunners have reported opened talks to get the deal done, as Berta wants to wrap things early with the signing of a new No.9.
The idea here is to bring the player early if Arsenal have decided on who their next No.9 will be among the many options they are interested in. The Gunners probably want the player into the squad ahead of pre-season, which could also avoid the prospect of a price increase due to the big competition for the highly-rated 26-year-old goal machine.
