Viktor Gyokeres remains absent from Sporting CP’s pre-season preparations, with the striker still yet to report back to Portugal amid ongoing negotiations with Arsenal.
The Swede’s desire to join the Gunners is clear, but the deal, despite being in advanced stages, is still not finalised.
Arsenal head off on their Asia tour on Saturday, which begins on Wednesday with a match against AC Milan in Singapore, followed by games against Newcastle and Tottenham.
There was hope that Gyokeres would join them on this tour, but negotiations between the two clubs remain a slog.
The transfer talks reportedly hit an impasse earlier this week over the structure of the deal, particularly the €10m in add-ons that Sporting president Frederico Varandas has apparently realised would be hard to achieve.
According to reports, Arsenal have agreed on a €63.5m fixed fee for Gyokeres, but finalising the details of the add-ons has proven more complicated.
David Ornstein confirmed that the Gunners are in a very advanced position, but as of now, the deal has not been completed. The disagreement surrounding the add-ons continues to hold up the final agreement, with Gyokeres’ representatives still in London, working to finalise the specifics.
Regarding Viktor Gyokeres’ refusal to return to training, A Bola reports that under Sporting CP‘s policies, a player missing five consecutive training sessions, or 10 in total, can be grounds for dismissal. Gyokeres has now missed seven sessions in a row. However, with the club facing the prospect of receiving no transfer fee if they terminate his contract, it is highly unlikely that they will take such action.
Having scored 54 goals for Sporting in 2024/25, as well as nine for Sweden, Gyokeres’ record is undeniably impressive. While 20 of those goals were from the penalty spot, 43 from open play still represents an exceptional return for a single season.
However, the challenge now will be whether the striker can adapt to the higher demands of Premier League football, which is more intense than in the Portuguese league.
With Arsenal kicking up a gear in their preparations for the 2025/26 season, Mikel Arteta will be eager to finalise the transfer as soon as possible.
The Spaniard will be hoping that Gyokeres can hit the ground running when he finally arrives at the Emirates, offering much-needed added firepower to the Gunners’ attack.