Arsenal 'turn to Viktor Gyokeres' as Alexander Isak alternative with Sporting Lisbon dropping valuation | OneFootball

Sporting could be persuaded to sell for less than £83m release clause

Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Simon Collings

Sign up

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing the Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The Gunners’ title challenge has fallen by the wayside in the last couple of months, with injuries to strikers Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus prompting Mikel Arteta to seek leftfield solutions up front.

With no other first-team strikers available, he has deployed midfielder Mikel Merino to lead the line.

Arsenal have long-term interest in Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, but the Magpies have no intention to sell him and it has been suggested that only a bid of around £150million would tempt them into considering parting with the Swede.

The Gunners and their new sporting director Andrea Berta, unveiled on Sunday, will therefore be lining up alternative solutions behind the scenes and see Gyokeres as a leading target.

Newcastle are said to be demanding at least £150m for Alexander Isak

Action Images via Reuters

According to The Athletic, Sporting’s Gyokeres, also a Swedish international, is the subject of interest from the Gunners.

The 26-year-old has scored an astonishing 42 goals in as many games in all competitions for the Portuguese league leaders this term.

That includes a November meeting with Manchester City in the Champions League when he netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 win.

Gyokeres has enjoyed a remarkable rise since joining Sporting from Coventry City for £20m in 2023, becoming one of the most reliable goalscorers in world football. He has scored 85 goals in just 92 matches for the club from Lisbon.

He previously spent three and a half seasons at Brighton, playing just eight times and never appearing in the Premier League. During that stint, he spent time on loan with St Pauli, Swansea, and Coventry, where he moved permanently for just £1m in 2021.

Gyokeres has also been linked with Manchester United, because the Red Devils’ head coach Ruben Amorim was the Swede’s manager for three years at Sporting.

He is said to have a release clause of around £83m inserted into his current Sporting contract, though it has been suggested the Portuguese defending champions may consider selling him for slightly below that.

Arsenal’s search for an elite striker saw them fail in a move to sign Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins in the winter window.