Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is perilously close to bringing in a top striker as his first summer signing
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is close to getting his perfect striker(Image credit: Getty Images)
Arsenal are on the verge of making their first summer signing – and addressing the long-held need for a new forward.
The Gunners scored more goals and racked up more wins last season than they ever had in a Premier League season but there is still the feeling among fans that a new centre-forward would take them up a level. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah started the season as first- and second-choice strikers respectively, managing just nine goals between them in the league all campaign.
Kai Havertz has emerged as Arsenal's most reliable No.9 – but with the German not a natural finisher, Mikel Arteta and his sporting director Edu Gaspar are said to be on the hunt for a true killer in the penalty area.
Arteta and Edu are looking for a top forward (Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
According to Portuguese outlet Leonino via Sport Witness, Sporting superstar Viktor Gyokeres is “very close” to signing, with just details with the numbers preventing the move from going through.
Gyokeres struck an incredible 43 goals during his first season in Portuguese football following a move from Coventry City, proving his credentials as one of Europe's top hitmen. Sport Witness have tempered their own report, however, by telling Gooners to “keep calm, as the news hasn’t been reported by any major outlets”.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, this deal may well be one that the Gunners are working on – but Leonino have not actually provided any new details to this saga, other than the idea of it being “very close”. The financial aspects of this transfer has always been the sticking point of the move, while the “closeness” of Gyokeres' arrival is debatable.
Gyokeres is apparently close to joining Arsenal (Image credit: Alamy)
As referred by Caught Offside in April, Sporting either want €100 million for the Swede, as per his release clause, or a comparable deal structure to be agreed if they are to let him go.
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Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
