Arsenal are developing a strong interest in Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres as they consider their options to recruit a striker this summer.
Gyokeres has long been admired by Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta — whose appointment was confirmed on Sunday — and is expected to figure prominently among those the club consider signing in the transfer window.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of Alexander Isak, however, Newcastle United have no intention of letting their star player leave St James’ Park and it would likely take a massive fee for them to even consider his departure.
Arsenal have also done a lot of work on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who may prove to be a more cost-effective solution, but it is unclear if they will proceed with a move and the 21-year-old Slovenia international has multiple suitors.
Gyokeres is, therefore, now a more prominent candidate than he might have been in the past.
The Sweden international, 26, has become one of Europe’s most prolific attackers since moving to Portugal from Coventry City in 2023.
Gyokeres has recorded 85 goals and 26 assists in 92 games for Sporting, helping them lift the Primeira Liga last year. In the league this season, he has scored 30 goals in 26 appearances.
Newcastle’s Isak is admired by Arteta (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Strengthening up front is a priority for Arsenal after season-ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus left Arteta with no recognised centre-forward. Midfielder Mikel Merino has recently played there on an emergency basis.
An approach for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins during the winter market proved unsuccessful, while Arsenal discussed loaning AC Milan’s Alvaro Morata before he eventually joined Galatasaray.
Arsenal return to Premier League action when they face Fulham at home on Tuesday.
What do I need to know about Gyokeres?
Analysis by Tim Spiers from The Transfer Radar 2025
Like Luca Toni, Chris Wood and Larry David, Gyokeres has bloomed a little later in his career than most.
Why has it taken a few extra years for him to be compared to Erling Haaland, or to be talked about as a candidate to beat Lionel Messi’s single-season goalscoring record?
Well, primarily because Gyokeres, similar to Harry Kane, has needed to work hard to improve his game along a career path that has taken him from Brommapojkarna in Sweden to Sporting in Portugal, via stints at Brighton & Hove Albion, Swansea City and Coventry City.
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He is pretty quick but not especially rapid, his technique is good but he is not particularly skilful. What he possesses — again, like Kane — is an unflinching desire to improve and score goals.
Coaches will tell you of a character who could be grumpy or stubborn, but also of someone who needed faith shown in him.
Since being made a main central striker for the first time at Coventry City (having found his path blocked at Brighton & Hove Albion where he was often shunted out wide) he has thrived. Give him room and half a chance to shoot and the chances are, the ball will soon be in the back of the net.
But strikers Carlos Vinicius, Islam Slimani and, to an extent, Darwin Nunez have struggled to transfer their Primeira Liga form in Portugal to the Premier League. Is Gyokeres different? His hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League suggests so.
(Top photo: Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Images)
