Arsenal are on the verge of finalizing the signing of Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting after reaching an agreement on personal terms with the Sweden striker. Ongoing negotiations over a fee for the 27-year-old are underway, with Arsenal aiming to secure a deal below the £68m asking price.
Gyökeres has openly expressed his desire for a new challenge, having netted 54 goals for Sporting last season. He has reportedly made it clear that he wishes to join Arsenal despite interest from other Premier League clubs, including Manchester United.
Arsenal has pinpointed Gyökeres as one of their primary targets to bolster their attacking options, alongside RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. With Mikel Arteta eager to bring in new talent swiftly, Arsenal’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, has intensified efforts to sign Gyökeres following the confirmation of midfielder Martín Zubimendi’s arrival on Sunday.
Having joined Sporting from Coventry in 2023, Gyökeres is believed to have struck a five-year deal at the Emirates. It’s understood that his former club, Brighton, is entitled to a fee under a sell-on clause.
Zubimendi, who turned down Liverpool last summer, has landed a five-year deal with Arsenal. The Spain international was heavily speculated to be heading to Real Madrid in recent weeks, even though it’s thought he had a pre-agreement to join Arsenal back in March.
Arteta made the 26-year-old his primary midfield target as Arsenal seeks to close the gap after finishing as runners-up in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons. Zubimendi’s signing is seen as a significant boost following the departures of Jorginho and Thomas Partey, who left after their contracts ended last week. Partey is facing serious allegations of assault, which he denies, just days after exiting the club.
Since last summer, Arsenal has been on the lookout for midfield replacements, with Zubimendi emerging as the preferred choice due to his standout performances for Real Sociedad and Spain. Their efforts to acquire him and Mikel Merino last summer were rebuffed as Real Sociedad was unwilling to lose both players in one transfer window.
Arsenal managed to secure a pre-agreement in March after ongoing discussions. The transfer fee is believed to slightly exceed his release clause of £51m, after they fended off late interest from Real Madrid, whose new manager, Xabi Alonso, had previously coached Zubimendi in the B team.
“Once I made the decision to leave, I set my sights on Arsenal because I believe their style of play suits me well,” Zubimendi shared on his new club’s website. “It’s a young, motivated, and ambitious team. They have demonstrated their potential recently, and I’m confident the best is yet to come.”
In addition, Brentford’s Christian Nørgaard is likely to complete a move to north London after an agreement on a deal worth up to £15m, and Arsenal is reportedly in discussions regarding personal terms with Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, considering whether to submit a bid for the England international.
Arteta commented on Zubimendi: “Martín is a player who will bring an immense amount of quality and football intelligence to our team.”
