Arsenal’s pursuit of Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres faces a new challenge as the player has reportedly expressed a strong desire to join Real Madrid.

GYOKERES WANTS TO PLAY FOR REAL MADRID Spanish press highlights the impressive start to the season of the Swede, who wants to play in a more competitive league Coveted English clubs want to see Swede in Champions League action before moving forward with bids Correio da Manhã10 Sep 2024 uViktor Gyokeres wants to go to Real Madrid, advances the Spanish press, which is surrendered to the overwhelming start of the Sporting forward's season. More and more frequent are the news about the 26-year-old, who has already scored 10 goals (between Sporting and the Swedish national team) and made 5 assists, this season. Figures that arouse the interest of Real Madrid, which can move forward with a proposal already in the January market. The Spanish press reports that Fuente merengue says that Florentino Pérez, president of the club, does not rule out moving forward with the signing of the goalscorer who is impressing European football. The Spaniards do not drop the topic and say that the interest of Real Madrid is in line with the will of the Swede, who sees a change with good eyes. Already in the summer market, The Atl. Madrid had expressed their intention to sign the player. But the greed collapsed with the 100 million euros, the value of the termination clause that scares even the player himself, who has already recognized that it makes it more complicated the desire to play in a more competitive league. Fabrizio Romano, an Italian journalist and expert on the transfer market, constantly highlights the performance of the Swedish international. Despite the contract until 2028 and confessing that he is happy at Sporting, Gyokeres opens the door to an exit. Frederico Varandas resists the value of the clause and prepares a salary increase as a reward for income. Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham are also in the running and want to assess the striker's performance in the Champions League first before moving forward with bids. St. Juste about to be option St. Juste is in the terminal phase of recovery from the muscle injury contracted at the end of July. The Dutch central defender is doing muscle strengthening work and in one to two weeks he may be an option again, but in Alvalade there is no hurry to make him return, so as not to compromise his full recovery.
GYOKERES WANTS TO PLAY FOR REAL MADRID – Correio da Manha 10 September 2024

Viktor Gyökeres has been in outstanding form this season, and his performances have held the attention of top European clubs.

The 26-year-old forward has scored 10 goals and provided five assists for both Sporting CP and the Swedish national team. This impressive form has led to heightened interest from Real Madrid, with reports suggesting that the Spanish club might consider a bid in the upcoming January transfer window.

The Spanish press, according to reports from the Portuguese Correio da Manhã, highlights Gyökeres’ excellent start to the season, noting his desire to play in a more competitive league amid reports of mutual admiration between the player and the Spanish giants.

Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, is reportedly open to making an offer for the forward, which is handy given Gyökeres’ reported ambitions.

During the summer transfer window, Arsenal showed strong interest in Gyökeres but was deterred by his €100 million release clause, a figure that Gyökeres himself said was ‘too much’.

Sporting Lisbon's Swedish forward #09 Viktor Gyokeres celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Portuguese league football match between Sporting CP and Rio Ave FC at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on August 9, 2024.(Photo by CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)
Sporting Lisbon’s Swedish forward #09 Viktor Gyokeres celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during the Portuguese league football match between Sporting CP and Rio Ave FC at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on August 9, 2024.(Photo by CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite his current contract with Sporting CP, which runs until 2028, and his stated happiness at the club, Gyökeres has acknowledged that the prospect of playing in a more competitive league is appealing. “I have a lot of fun at Sporting and I can’t complain about anything. We always want to try other leagues and a higher level, of course, but I’m not stressed about it,” Gyökeres said recently.

Arsenal, along with other Premier League clubs such as Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham Hotspur, have been monitoring Gyökeres’ performances closely.

They are particularly interested in assessing his contributions in the Champions League before making any bids.

According to Record, Sporting CP is considering a pay rise to retain their star forward, but the financial package from Premier League clubs like Arsenal is likely to be more lucrative.

BONUS FOR GYÖKERES HE PLAYED 90 MINUTES AGAINST MAFRA (2-1) AND WAS IN BOTH GOALS GOALSCORER WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR STAYING IN ALVALADE Record8 Sep 2024 HARDER SHOWS HIMSELF TO AMORIM With an overwhelming start to the season, scored by 8 goals and 5 assists in 6 official games, between club and national team, Gyökeres used for the first time a critical tone to talk about the termination clause (100 M€) that allowed Sporting to resist his departure until the closing of the market. “It's too much, " he said bluntly before the Azerbaijan-Sweden match, arguing that after a season in which he had 43 goals and 15 assists in 50 games, only the high value of the clause will explain why there have been no moves. Is a new problem created in Alvalade, for the player or for the club? Judging by the performance and the words of the Swedish forward himself, no. 'Vik' made a point of making it very clear that he is happy with Leo on his chest and even showed understanding with SAD's strategy, aware that the great design of the season is the two-time championship, which has eluded him for 70 years. “They wanted to keep most of the starters and they were firm in holding us. I like Sporting very much, staying was not a problem,” he clarified. That said, the question is: Will Everything be the same between Sporting and Gyökeres after this market? The answer, here as in the previous question, is: no. On hold In fact, according to the report, although until now there have been no concrete developments in this direction., GOALSCORER IS HAPPY AT ALVALADE BUT ALSO ASSUMES HE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE LEAP TO ANOTHER LEAGUE on the table is the possibility that Frederico Varandas ' administration will reward Gyökeres through a salary increase,which will have to be done without contract extension or public communication. On the side of the spearhead, our newspaper knows, the expectation that this can happen is high; on the part of Sporting, despite the desired discretion around the process, there is receptivity to reward a player who was the great protagonist of the conquest of the title and who, at 26, continues not only to attract the interest of European sharks but also to feed the will to make the leap to a more competitive league than than the Portuguese. "I have a lot of fun at Sporting and I can't complain about anything, so I have no problem staying. We always want to try other leagues and a higher level, of course, but I'm not stressed about it,” Gyökeres said. It is in this context, without drama or fuss but with the exit door ajar for 2025, that the Lions ' top scorer expects to be called soon to discuss his contractual situation, adjusting it to the status confirmed and reinforced over the past few months.
Record, 8 September 2024

Gyökeres, currently earning €46,000 per week (£39,000), may find the financial incentives from Arsenal more attractive compared to Sporting’s offer, but a bid from Real Madrid would be a different beast altogether.

Despite Sporting CP’s attempts to manage negotiations discreetly and increase Gyökeres’ salary without extending his contract, Arsenal’s interest remains a significant factor.

Sporting’s efforts to keep Gyökeres happy in the short term, aiming for a historic back-to-back league title, could be undermined if Arsenal or other top clubs make a compelling offer in the January window.

SOLNA, SWEDEN - SEPTEMBER 8: Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden celebrates with teammate Dejan Kulusevski after scoring 3-0 during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League C Group C1 match between Sweden and Estonia at Strawberry Arena on September 8, 2024 in Solna, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
SOLNA, SWEDEN – SEPTEMBER 8: Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden celebrates with teammate Dejan Kulusevski after scoring 3-0 during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League C Group C1 match between Sweden and Estonia at Strawberry Arena on September 8, 2024 in Solna, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

Gyökeres’ impact at Sporting has been remarkable, with 50 goals and 18 assists across 55 matches, in addition to his 10 goals in 22 appearances for Sweden. His consistent performances have solidified his reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting forwards.

While Sporting CP is preparing to offer him a pay rise, Gyökeres’ expressed desire to eventually test himself in a more competitive league suggests that Real Madrid or Arsenal may have a chance to secure his services in the near future.

For Arsenal, the situation presents an opportunity to test Sporting’s resolve and potentially secure one of Europe’s most sought-after talents. As the January transfer window approaches, Arsenal will need to carefully assess their strategy to compete with other interested clubs and potentially make a move for Gyökeres.