Viktor Gyokeres 'willing to make major sacrifice for Arsenal move this summer' - as Gunners close in on deal for Sporting Lisbon star
Mail Sport reported over the weekend how the Gunners are finally closing in on the Swedish striker in a deal worth up to £70million after a lengthy pursuit.
Further talks were taking place on Sunday night over the structure of achievable bonus payments on the fee with the 27-year old having already agreed personal terms on a five-year contract.
Gyokeres, who has been adamant throughout the summer that he only wants to join Arsenal, came back into focus after RB Leipzig failed to budge sufficiently in their valuation of Benjamin Sesko.
Reports have claimed Gyokeres will refuse to return for pre-season training as part of his attempts to force through a move and Portuguese outlet Record say the Sporting star is now happy to go even further.
The outlet suggested that the 27-year-old has expressed his happiness to forego €2million (£1.73m) from his proposed five-year Arsenal contract so that the money could be used to increase the Gunners' bid to Sporting for his services.
Gyokeres is said to have been the driving force behind this move, outlining his determination to play at the Emirates next season.
As a result, the report claims Arsenal's latest bid came in at an initial €65m (£56.2m) with a further €15m (13m) in add-ons.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have been locked in negotiations with Sporting over Gyokeres for a number of months and the situation finally seems to be nearing a conclusion.
Man United head coach Ruben Amorim had looked to reunite with Gyokeres this summer but he was informed last month that his target only wanted to join Arsenal.
The development comes shortly before Arteta's side, who have already added Kepa and Martin Zubimendi this summer, return for pre-season training.
As reported by Mail Sport, Arteta had been keen to sign a new striker before his squad jets out to Singapore on July 19 to begin their tour of Asia.
An irritated Gyokeres had previously accused Sporting of rowing back on an agreement to let him leave for £60m, to which club president Frederico Varandas said he had received no offers and vowed he would not succumb to 'blackmails and insults'.
The forward scored an incredible 97 goals in 102 games over the past two seasons in Portugal and is under contract until 2028. He pushed back on lucrative approaches from Saudi Pro League sides Al-Hilal and Al-Qadsiah earlier this summer.
Gyokeres was also on Juventus' radar but the Serie A giants have missed out, too.
Initially, RB Leipzig's Sesko looked to be Arsenal's primary target at No 9 but attention has shifted to Gyokeres. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was also considered.
Gyokeres moved to England in 2017-18 when he joined Brighton, but he made just eight appearances for the club, scoring one goal.
He spent loan spells at St Pauli and Swansea before switching to Coventry, initially on a loan deal, where he scored 43 goals over two-and-a-half seasons.
That form earned him a €24m (£20.7m) move to Sporting and after two superb years in Portugal, Gyokeres is now set to return to the UK for the next chapter of his career.
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The rigours of the professional tennis tour are such that few players have time in their life for anything else. But after taking a break from the sport in 2023, Amanda Anisimova discovered another practice she was equally passionate about: painting. 'I got into art when I was struggling with my mental health, and it was something that I did in my free time just to get my mind off of things,' Anisimova said last Friday after her third-round victory over Dalma Galfi. 'Once I was done with my training day or had a day off, it's something I would do. 'I think before that I didn't have any hobbies or interests other than just, like, hanging out with my friends and family, so I wanted to find something that I enjoyed doing on my own. 'I feel like it's just a very good get-away for myself.' 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While impressive results dotted her 2021 and 2022 seasons, including the dispatching of defending champion Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open in the latter year, Anisimova would move up and down rankings within the top 50, but seemed well off her early potential. In 2023, the dam burst, and Anisimova made a seismic decision few players have the confidence - or the foresight - to make. On the heels of a first-round defeat at the Madrid Open, the 21-year-old announced that she would be taking a break from tennis. With no plans to return. 'I've really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022,' Anisimova shared in an Instagram statement. 'It's become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. 'At this point my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time. I've worked as hard as I could to push through it.' 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In SW19, Anisimova is surrounded by her family - including her nephew Jaxon, whose birthday she celebrated on Thursday The player frustrated world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka over three knife's-edge sets that afternoon She will now look to break Iga Swiatek's flawless run in Grand Slam finals on Saturday But there's another peerless professional waiting for her in the final. Iga Swiatek may be having an unprecedented run on grass, but for her, a baking-hot Wimbledon is playing like her beloved Roland-Garros red clay. Swiatek won the girl's title at the Championships in 2018, another sticky summer, and despite having failed to win a title since her French Open win in 2024, she has never lost any of her five Grand Slam finals. The pairing is a tantalising one - Swiatek and Anisimova have never met on any surface as adults, with a 2016 Junior Fed Cup meeting the only fodder for head-to-head analysts. For Anisimova however, there is triumph already in reaching the final. 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