Reports in England claim Arsenal and Chelsea remain interested in signing Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, who made an astonishing debut season with Sporting CP.
Signed from Championship outfit Coventry City, Gyokeres scored 43 goals and made 15 assists for his team in as many as 50 appearances, marking him out as one of the hottest forwards in European football.
But Gyokeres has a release clause in his contract worth £85 million, which cooled off interest some months ago from Premier League giants like Arsenal and Chelsea given the big financial outlay it would take. Another factor in Gyokeres’ case was the future of Sporting CP’s coach, Ruben Amorim.
Earlier Amorim had been spoken of as a candidate to take over at Liverpool and West Ham but chose to stay on at Sporting CP. Gyokeres also stated that he learned a lot under the coaching of Amorim.
However, the race for Gyokeres’ signing has reportedly reopened.
TBR Football have claimed Arsenal and Chelsea have renewed their interest in the striker.
Both the clubs are in dire need of a center-forward but are afraid of making any impulsive signings that do not align with their strategic plans.
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The Gunners, who missed out on Benjamin Sesko, have shifted their focus towards strengthening areas other than their attack, especially on the left side of their defense, with Riccardo Calafiori nearing his way to Emirates Stadium.
Chelsea have already signed young strikers -: Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu, but the Blues may still bring in a more experienced No. 9.
The Blues are looking to put both Romelu Lukaku and Armando Broja up for sale before sanctioning further incomings.
With these recent acquisitions, taken together, it realises the very obvious need for a reliable, seasoned striker at Chelsea—something Gyokeres can offer.
Most interestingly, though, it has been reported that their initial release clause of £85 million for the sale of Gyokeres could now be around £60 million.
This reduction may turn out to be a tonic for Arsenal and Chelsea, who earlier could not get involved in the race due to backing down on the heavy transfer fee in the face of his exact valuation.
This could make Gyokeres an enticing prospect for both clubs, looking at a cut-price deal in their direction.
What both Arsenal and Chelsea need to do is weigh their options carefully against the current needs of their squads and the financial position in which they are.
If either is able to thrash out a good deal with Sporting CP, they will sign one of the most talented and prolific strikers around, greatly enhancing their attacking options for the forthcoming campaign.
