'Believes in the Arsenal': £68m star wants Premier League move amid Juventus & Atletico Madrid interest - report
Arsenal are widely anticipated to sign a marquee centre-forward this summer.
The London giants had another frustrating season in the Premier League. They finished 10 points behind eventual champions Liverpool after 14 draws.
The Gunners must improve their finishing upfront, and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has been heavily linked with the club over the past week in particular.
The Swede has given the green light to join the Gunners after turning down Manchester United, but the club have reportedly frozen their pursuit of him.
Arsenal are ‘fed up‘ with Sporting CP’s demands for £68 million and have opted to switch their focus to signing either Benjamin Sesko or Ollie Watkins.
Amidst this, Record (page 16) claim that Gyokeres just wants the Premier League, and he has already made his decision clear to his representative.
Juventus and Atletico Madrid have recently entered the pursuit, but the former Coventry City man is keen on proving himself in the English top flight.
The Gunners have cooled their interest in signing Gyokeres, but the 27-year-old ‘believes in the Arsenal’ and remains optimistic about making the move.
Arsenal unlikely to pay over the odds for Gyokeres
Mikel Arteta’s side are poised to spend big during this summer’s transfer window after barely much transfer activity over the past 18 months.
It does not mean that they will pay over the odds for any player. Gyokeres had a superb season at Sporting CP, registering 54 goals and 13 assists from 52 outings.
However, his statistics seem to be misleading. As per The Athletic‘s research, only five teams in the Primeira Liga are of Premier League standard.
Most teams are ‘roughly’ of Championship standard, with some in the League One bracket.
Hence, there are some doubts about whether Gyokeres can make a big impression in the Premier League.
Arsenal value him highly, but they have a fixed valuation for him. The Gunners had a £55m offer rejected and are not keen on meeting the £68m asking price.
The club have cooled their pursuit of the striker but could revisit their interest if Sporting CP open the door to negotiating a lower package for his transfer.
Otherwise, they could seek to sign Sesko or Watkins instead. Arsenal reportedly had a meeting with Watkins’ agent. He could be purchased for £40m.
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