23-goal Arsenal target can leave for €75 million after ‘secret’ agreement | OneFootball

Viktor Gyökeres has scored 23 goals in just 17 games for Sporting this season, and it seems that his prolific form might soon open the exit door from Alvalade.

The Swedish striker could leave the Portuguese club in the summer for a reduced fee of €75 million, thanks to a ‘secret’ arrangement with Sporting’s president, Frederico Varandas.

LISBON, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 5: Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Sporting CP and Manchester City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 5, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

This fee sits considerably below the release clause figure of €100 million and this news lines up with previous reports we covered from Portugal, although the ‘new’ fee is higher.

This special agreement, however, only becomes effective at the end of the current campaign and likely comes with an unpublicised payrise.

GYOKERES CAN LEAVE FOR 75 MILLION. Varandas deal frees Swede in summer for a fee below release clause Bayern join list of interested clubs – Correio da Manhã 8 Nov 2024 by Pedro Neves de Sousa

The winter window offers no such leeway—Sporting will demand the full €100 million should anyone seek to prise Gyökeres away before the summer.

LISBON, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 05: Erling Haaland of Manchester City appears dejected after Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP (not pictured) scores his team’s third goal from a penalty kick during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Manchester City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 05, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The existing contract, which ties the 26-year-old to Sporting until 2028, puts the power firmly in the club’s hands.

With Gyökeres racking up goals and grabbing attention across Europe, the queue of interested suitors grows steadily longer.

Bayern Munich are reportedly the latest to join the hunt for the prolific forward, whose hat-trick against Manchester City has only further enhanced his burgeoning reputation.

Observers now widely accept that Gyökeres’ departure from Alvalade is more a matter of when than if.

LISBON, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 5: Head Coach Josep Guardiola of Manchester City congratulates goal scorer Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP at the end of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Sporting CP and Manchester City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 5, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

The English press indicates that several Premier League sides are keen on securing the Swede’s services.

The list includes Liverpool, Chelsea, and, of course, Arsenal, as well as both Manchester clubs.

For Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta intent on adding further firepower to his attack, Gyökeres could be a vital acquisition to propel the Gunners back into title contention and the club has been linked consistently for quite some time now.

It remains to be seen which of these clubs will ultimately secure his signature, but what is certain is that Gyökeres is in high demand—and Sporting’s deal with Varandas ensures that he will be an affordable acquisition come the summer.