"In recent hours": Chelsea have now joined Arsenal in race to sign £54m star - report
Chelsea have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer, according to Portuguese outlet Record (page 6).
The Sweden international had a superb 2024/25 season, registering 54 goals and 13 assists from only 52 appearances for the Portuguese champions.
He has gentleman’s agreement to leave Sporting CP this summer, and Record claim that he could be signed for less than his £84 million release clause.
An offer between £50m and £54m could be sufficient for sporting director Frederico Varandas to give the green light for the striker’s transfer this summer.
Arsenal have been linked with Gyokeres on a daily basis. It was recently reported that club directors have flown to Lisbon to prepare the details for his transfer.
However, they now face fresh competition from London rivals Chelsea. As per Record, the Blues have probed the signing of the 26-year-old in ‘recent hours’.
The club were waiting for the Conference League final to conclude. They are now expected to finalise deals for desired targets, ideally before the Club World Cup.
Arsenal must speed up Gyokeres talks to avoid Chelsea hijack
The Gunners have been following the striker’s progress over the past few weeks, and it has been reported that sporting director Andrea Berta is a firm admirer of him.
The club are alternatively discussing terms for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. Berta recently held concrete talks with the Bundesliga outfit, as per Florian Plettenberg.
However, Arsenal face a huge stumbling block to recruit Sesko, considering Leipzig have now set a hefty asking price of £93m to part ways with the highly-rated marksman.
We don’t see the Gunners making such a huge outlay on the 21-year-old. The Slovenian is far from a complete player and may require a year or two to become an elite goalgetter.
Sesko netted only 21 goals from 45 appearances for Leipzig last term.
On the contrary, Gyokeres would represent a proven goalscoring striker. The Sweden would be a bargain signing for £50-54m, and we are not surprised that Chelsea have joined the pursuit.
The Blues can provide Gyokeres with the luxury of Champions League football just like Arsenal. The Gunners must speed up negotiations to avoid their rivals beating them to the player.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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