Arteta sets deadline for Arsenal to land Star from Sporting | OneFootball

Arsenal’s Summer Scramble: Gyokeres Chase Reaches Crucial Stage

Arteta’s Deadline Push

Time is ticking at the Emirates. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reportedly handed the club a hard deadline of less than two weeks to wrap up a deal for Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Spaniard is desperate to strengthen his forward line as the Gunners aim to bridge the final gap and launch a genuine title challenge next season.

With Arsenal set to fly out for their Asia pre-season tour on July 19, the pressure is on to finalise negotiations before that departure. According to The Mirror, Arteta wants the incoming striker to be in place before boarding that flight.

It’s a clear message from the manager that the summer business must be swift and decisive. The club cannot afford another protracted window while rivals reinforce with intent.

Photo: IMAGO

Gyokeres Leading the Pack

The Mirror reports that while Arsenal have tracked several strikers, including Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins, Viktor Gyokeres has emerged as the standout target. The Gunners are believed to have agreed personal terms with the Swedish international, but negotiations with Sporting remain ongoing.

Sporting are standing firm on their valuation, reportedly seeking around £69 million (€80m), although their president Federico Varandas has offered intriguing insight into the negotiations.

“Sporting is calm regarding this matter.”

“Secondly, Sporting does not need to sell Viktor Gyökeres. Fortunately, we have moved past the phase of selling our main asset.”

These quotes suggest that Sporting hold the cards, but are not immovable. Varandas continues:

“However, we remain sensitive to Viktor’s dreams or those of any other athlete. Sporting has made a commitment that, after weeks of meetings, we will not demand the full amount of the clause; we will be reasonable regarding the amount requested for Viktor.”

Negotiations Enter Crunch Week

Arsenal’s challenge is clear. The week commencing July 14 is being viewed as the decisive window in which to strike a deal. Beyond that, logistics and timing may become stumbling blocks.

“Today, there is a strong likelihood that he will leave. I won’t disclose the amount, but the player knows what it is. I can say that Viktor will not leave for 60+10m. He won’t leave, absolutely not.”

There’s realism in Varandas’ words, but also a firm warning that a cut-price deal will not happen. Arsenal must meet somewhere near Sporting’s valuation or risk missing out on their primary attacking target.

Market Moves and Future Planning

Arsenal are not stopping with Gyokeres. The Mirror also notes that Martin Zubimendi could be close to joining from Real Sociedad, while Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera has rejected a new deal in Spain and is believed to be pushing for a move to North London.

Sporting’s Varandas added a final observation on the broader striker market:

“In recent weeks, we have been paying attention. I saw a player, Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, go for 65 million, and I saw Matheus Cunha move to Manchester United for around 75 million euros.”

“We are talking about players who are 26 years old. I believe Viktor could leave, unless he has the worst agent in the world, which I don’t believe, as his agent is one of the best in the world.”

With the clock ticking, all eyes are now on Edu and the Arsenal recruitment team. Can they get it over the line before the team boards that flight?

Our View – EPL Index

Excited Arsenal Fan Opinion

There’s something thrilling about the clarity with which Mikel Arteta is approaching this transfer window. Finally, we have a manager who knows what he wants and sets a timeline to get it done. As an Arsenal supporter, that is exactly what we’ve lacked in past summers.

Viktor Gyokeres looks the part. He’s strong, fast, clinical and, most importantly, hungry. Just watching clips of him bullying defences in Portugal shows why Arteta sees him as the missing piece. The fact that personal terms are already agreed is huge, and now it’s down to the club hierarchy to finish what they started.

What makes this even more exciting is the potential trio of Gyokeres, Zubimendi and Mosquera. That’s not just squad depth, that’s long-term team evolution. It’s the kind of business title-winning clubs complete early.

That said, £69 million is no small figure. But when Manchester United are throwing similar sums at players like Matheus Cunha, it makes sense. Gyokeres could be transformational in the final third. If this deal doesn’t happen, it will feel like a massive missed opportunity. Let’s hope Edu and co. know that too.