SPORTING LISBON are increasingly confident Arsenal will meet their £68.9million price tag for striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The clubs remain locked in negotiations for the Swedish striker although the €80m (£68.9million) fee is likely to include add-ons.
Sporting Lisbon are confident that Arsenal will pay their £68.9m asking price for Viktor Gyokeres
Gyokeres has been given extra time to report for pre-season amid the transfer saga
A deal is not yet complete and Arsenal have yet to make a firm bid but Gyokeres is hoping to get his move to the Emirates.
The Swedish international was set to go on strike and miss training today in a bid to force a move.
But Gyokeres has been told he does not have to report for training until Friday, although the forward is insisting he will not appear because he is so angry over the saga.
Danish international Conrad Harder and Portuguese U21 winger Geovany Quenda, who will join Chelsea in 2026, have also been told they do not have to turn up until Friday for Sporting.
They were also due to report today, but late Saturday night were handed an extra four days off ahead of the club travelling to the Algarve at the weekend for a pre-season training camp.
Yet Arsenal, although still interested in Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, are edging closer towards landing the former Coventry forward.
Manager Mikel Arteta had hoped to secure a striker before heading to Singapore on July 19 for the club’s summer tour but it is not certain that the Gyokeres deal could be done in time.
Gyokeres’ agent, former player Hasan Cetinkaya, has been in London several times for talks with Arsenal although Manchester United and Juventus have also been interested.
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Cetinkaya claimed he has written evidence that Gyokeres had been told he could leave for £60m but Sporting increased their demands.
Club president Frederico Varandas, who has had a public falling out with Gyokeres, had hoped that the player was bluffing and he would return to training with the club but this now seems unlikely.
Gyokeres, 27, a £20m signing from Coventry in 2023, has scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting.
He has turned down offers from Saudi Pro League sides Al Hilal and Al Qadisiyah and would prefer to play in the Premier League.
Arteta takes his players to Spain this week for a training camp before the tour to south-east Asia.
Arsenal have also completed the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in a deal worth almost £60m.
He is the Gunners’ second signing of the summer transfer window, following the arrival of keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea for £5m.
