Arsenal receive timely boost in Gyokeres race as Sporting intensify search for replacement | OneFootball

Arsenal have received a massive boost in their bid to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Portuguese side have started looking for a new striker, which should open the door for Gyokeres to join Arsenal.

Arsenal and Sporting have been in a transfer tussle over Gyokeres since the start of the transfer window.

The Portuguese club have conceded that they will part ways with the prolific striker this summer but will only sanction a sale on their own terms.

Gyokeres dreams of playing for Arsenal, and the Gunners are seriously interested in bringing him to the Emirates Stadium. But Sporting are playing hardball over the transfer fee.

Arsenal submitted an opening bid worth £55.5 million earlier this month. But it wasn’t enough to appease Sporting, who are holding out for at least £68m.

The Premier League runners-up are expected to return with an improved bid for Gyokeres. But it remains to be seen if they’ll meet Sporting’s asking price.

Gyokeres cemented his position as one of the most lethal strikers on the continent last season. He bagged a staggering 54 goals and weighed in with a further 13 assists in 52 games in all competitions.

He fired Sporting to the Primera Liga title with 39 goals in 33 league games, but that could be his final contribution to the club as he prepares for a new chapter.

Gyokeres is admired by a host of Premier League clubs. He has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. But he has made it clear that he wants to join Arsenal.

The Swedish striker is doing his best to force a move. He has told Sporting that he doesn’t plan on returning to the fold for pre-season.

Considering how much he wants the move to the Emirates, personal terms should be a formality. All that remains now is for Arsenal to find common ground with Sporting over the transfer fee.