Arsenal are reportedly on the verge of agreeing a £63.4million deal for Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres.
A five-year contract is ready for the forward, who has been the subject of one the summer’s major transfer sagas after two prolific seasons in Portugal.
The transfer is broken down into a £54.8m front-up fee and a further £8.4m in add-ons, according to The Athletic.
They report that a conclusion is imminent, with just the finishing touches waiting to be applied.
It has been a complex saga, one fraught with division and delays, and in the end the Sweden star’s agent has waived his commission to get the deal over the line.
Arsenal had hoped to seal the deal before they flew out to their pre-season tour of Asia on Saturday, but the two sides remained at odds over bonus payments and the schedule of instalments, with Sporting pushing for more of the fee up front.
Arsenal are reportedly on the brink of agreeing a £63.4million deal for Viktor Gyokeres
The striker has been the subject of one of the summer’s major transfer sagas but will join on a five-year deal
It is too late for him to join Mikel Arteta’s side on their pre-season tour of Asia
There were fears that the deal could collapse at the final hurdle, something which reduced his father to tears, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola.
During their tour of Asia, Arsenal are set to face AC Milan and Newcastle in Singapore, then north London rivals Tottenham in Hong Kong.
But Gyokeres will likely have to wait until August 6 when the Gunners host Villarreal in their first pre-season game back from Asia.
After that, Mikel Arteta’s side conclude their summer preparations against Athletic Club, before kicking off the Premier League season away at Manchester United.
Gyokeres has enjoyed a stunning two-year spell in the Portuguese top flight, netting 97 times in just 102 appearances for Sporting.
He scored 54 club goals last term across all competitions, and is rated as one of the most prolific forwards in Europe.
Should he seal a move to Arsenal, the 27-year-old will depart Sporting having earned two league titles and the Portuguese Cup during his time at the club.
Gyokeres joined Sporting in a £20m move from Coventry in 2023, where he had scored 43 goals in two-and-a-half seasons.
But Arsenal and Sporting quibbled over the structure of Gyokeres’ fee, causing a delay
Having previously struggled to break into the first team when he was at Brighton, Gyokeres has spoken of his desire to return to the English top flight, to get revenge for his empty spell with the Seagulls.
‘It’s one of the biggest leagues in Europe,’ Gyokeres said. ‘I spent several years there without being able to play a single match.
‘So, of course, it’s something I would like to do. It would be a great revenge.’
Gyokeres would end Arsenal’s long search for a high-quality centre forward, providing Arteta’s squad with a boost as they aim to secure a first Premier League title in 22 years.
