Viktor Gyokeres is reportedly willing to give up a significant amount of his future salary to force through a move to Arsenal this summer.
Mail Sport reported over the weekend how the Gunners are finally closing in on the Swedish striker in a deal worth up to £70million after a lengthy pursuit.
Further talks were taking place on Sunday night over the structure of achievable bonus payments on the fee with the 27-year old having already agreed personal terms on a five-year contract.
Gyokeres, who has been adamant throughout the summer that he only wants to join Arsenal, came back into focus after RB Leipzig failed to budge sufficiently in their valuation of Benjamin Sesko.
Reports have claimed Gyokeres will refuse to return for pre-season training as part of his attempts to force through a move and Portuguese outlet Record say the Sporting star is now happy to go even further.
The outlet suggested that the 27-year-old has expressed his happiness to forego €2million (£1.73m) from his proposed five-year Arsenal contract so that the money could be used to increase the Gunners’ bid to Sporting for his services.
Gyokeres is said to have been the driving force behind this move, outlining his determination to play at the Emirates next season.
As a result, the report claims Arsenal’s latest bid came in at an initial €65m (£56.2m) with a further €15m (13m) in add-ons.
The latest development comes after it was reported last week that Gyokers had split with his Portuguese girlfriend Ines Aguiar to keep nothing typing him to Lisbon amid his push to leave Sporting this summer.
Portuguese outlet TV Guia had claimed that the couple ended their relationship before Gyokeres left for his summer holiday in Greece.
Speculation had reportedly grown over a potential separation after Aguiar had not joined Gyokeres at the wedding of his Sporting team-mate Morten Hjulmand and Emilie Sofie Nissen, who she is said to be close to.
The actress then when on holiday to the Spanish island Formentera, while Gyokeres instead went to Mykonos in Greece.
Citing a source close to the Swedish striker, the outlet reported that Gyokeres had decided to he ‘doesn’t want anything to tie him to Portugal, especially because he has already decided that he won’t continue at Sporting next season.’
Meanwhile, the Gunners have been locked in negotiations with Sporting over Gyokeres for a number of months and the situation finally seems to be nearing a conclusion.
Man United head coach Ruben Amorim had looked to reunite with Gyokeres this summer but he was informed last month that his target only wanted to join Arsenal.
The development comes shortly before Arteta’s side, who have already added Kepa and Martin Zubimendi this summer, return for pre-season training.
As reported by Mail Sport, Arteta had been keen to sign a new striker before his squad jets out to Singapore on July 19 to begin their tour of Asia.
An irritated Gyokeres had previously accused Sporting of rowing back on an agreement to let him leave for £60m, to which club president Frederico Varandas said he had received no offers and vowed he would not succumb to ‘blackmails and insults’.
The forward scored an incredible 97 goals in 102 games over the past two seasons in Portugal and is under contract until 2028. He pushed back on lucrative approaches from Saudi Pro League sides Al-Hilal and Al-Qadsiah earlier this summer.
Gyokeres was also on Juventus’ radar but the Serie A giants have missed out, too.
Initially, RB Leipzig’s Sesko looked to be Arsenal’s primary target at No 9 but attention has shifted to Gyokeres. Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins was also considered.
Gyokeres moved to England in 2017-18 when he joined Brighton, but he made just eight appearances for the club, scoring one goal.
He spent loan spells at St Pauli and Swansea before switching to Coventry, initially on a loan deal, where he scored 43 goals over two-and-a-half seasons.
That form earned him a €24m (£20.7m) move to Sporting and after two superb years in Portugal, Gyokeres is now set to return to the UK for the next chapter of his career.
