Swedish superstar Viktor Gyökeres is going to something bigger than Sporting this summer.
An update on Viktor Gyökeres’ future has surfaced, and it’s at least surprising.
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The 26-year-old has long been on the radar of several top clubs after a fantastic season at Sporting CP, where he has recorded 43 goals and 11 assists in 43 games so far this season.
In January, he was linked with a possible move to Manchester United, mainly due to his previous collaboration with United’s new head coach Ruben Amorim from his time in the Portuguese capital. But no such agreement came to fruition.
In December, Portuguese newspaper A Bola claimed that Gyökeres had a buyout clause of €100 million in his contract – a sum that would have been enough to sign him in the winter window.
The newspaper added that Sporting were “open to negotiating a sale price for next summer” for a reduced price of €70 million plus bonuses.
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Now, an updated price has appeared.
According to Sky Sports and a number of other media outlets, the Lisbon-based club are willing to let the 26-year-old go for a sum between €64 million and €82 million as a gesture of gratitude for staying at the club despite interest from bigger clubs this winter.
Where Gyökeres will play next season is still unclear, but the Daily Mail suggests that the player would prefer a move to Arsenal rather than Manchester United, as the Gunners are most likely to play in the Champions League next season.
Arsenal’s summer reinforcements will be led by their new sporting director Andrea Berta, who took office on March 30.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated about the club’s plans for the upcoming transfer window:
“The first five summers we planned were going to be very big with different goals because the turnover of players and the goals for those windows would be different,” Arteta said.
“But now that we are going to start again, we want to increase both the breadth and quality of the squad, as well as the skills we need to take the next step. It’s going to be a big summer, and we’re very excited.”