Arsenal are on the verge of landing their long-awaited striker, with Viktor Gyökeres set to join the Gunners in a blockbuster £63 million deal from Sporting CP this summer.
Following months of searching for a prolific No. 9, Mikel Arteta’s side appears to have finally secured their man. Arsenal’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, had reportedly narrowed the shortlist to two key targets — Gyökeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško — back in May. After progressing talks for both, Leipzig’s refusal to lower their asking price for Šeško led Berta to prioritize the Swedish forward.
Now, Gyökeres is poised to complete a move to North London, with a transfer agreement in place between Arsenal and Sporting worth an initial £55 million, plus £8 million in performance-related add-ons.
Agent Sacrifices Commission to Get Deal Over the Line
While a deal once looked close, negotiations between the two clubs hit a standstill over an additional €5 million Sporting were demanding — a fee Arsenal were reluctant to match.
Tensions escalated when Gyökeres reportedly went on strike at the Portuguese club, signaling a complete breakdown in the relationship between player and club. To resolve the impasse, Gyökeres’ agent took the extraordinary step of waiving a 10% commission fee that he would have been entitled to.
According to Ben Jacobs, the agent’s gesture allowed both clubs to proceed on Arsenal’s financial terms while ensuring Sporting still received the amount they had hoped for through the waived commission.
Medical Imminent, Singapore Tour Next
Gyökeres is now expected to travel with Arsenal’s squad to Singapore for their pre-season tour later this week. The move will be finalized once he undergoes his medical and the official announcement is made.
The 24-year-old had an outstanding 2023/24 season, scoring 43 goals in all competitions for Sporting and emerging as one of Europe’s most lethal strikers. Arsenal fans will be hoping he can replicate that form at the Emirates.
Throwback: Arshavin’s Agent Paid £1.2m to Make Arsenal Dream Happen
Remarkably, this isn’t the first time a player’s representative has given up money to facilitate a move to Arsenal. During the dramatic January 2009 deadline day, Andrey Arshavin’s agent paid £1.2 million out of pocket to seal the Russian’s transfer from Zenit St. Petersburg.
According to football agent Jon Smith (in his book The Deal), Arshavin was undergoing a medical in London while the clubs were still £1.2 million apart on the transfer fee. With time running out and both sides unwilling to budge, the agent stepped in — paying the difference himself to get the deal done.
Arshavin went on to become an instant fan favorite, scoring six goals in just 12 Premier League appearances in the second half of the 2008/09 campaign.
Now, Arsenal will be hoping Viktor Gyökeres can make a similarly explosive impact in his first few months at the club.
