Declan Rice responds to Viktor Gyokeres message as Arsenal transfer edges closer
Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres was front and centre of Sporting CP’s celebrations as they sealed a second straight Portuguese title.
Gyokeres‘ form has taken the rest of Europe by storm across the past two seasons and he’s now fired Sporting to back-to-back Primeira Liga successes, with 39 goals in 33 league games alone this term.
The Swedish international is Arsenal‘s number one transfer target as Andrea Berta looks to address the Gunners’ lack of a true number nine, and he has overruled Mikel Arteta to greenlight Gyokeres’ transfer.
Football Insider revealed on 17 May that Gyokeres is “happy” to become an Arsenal player this summer, but the 26-year-old’s full focus in recent weeks has been to successfully wrap up their 21st league title.
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates ahead of Sporting CP transfer
Gyokeres’ “ridiculous” form over the last two years has attracted interest from Nottingham Forest and Manchester United as well as Arsenal, with 96 goals and 28 assists across 101 appearances for Sporting.
Football Insider reported last month that Man United’s pursuit of Gyokeres was a “done deal”, and while the striker does seem destined to leave Sporting this summer, no front-runner has broken through yet.
| Season | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards |
| 2023–24 | 50 | 44 | 43 | 15 | 5 |
| 2024–25 | 51 | 43 | 53 | 13 | 6 |
Gyokeres was happy to let the transfer speculation wait in his recent Instagram post on 19 May, as he celebrated Sporting’s second Primeira Liga title as part of a packed Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.
In a post liked by current Gunners midfielder Declan Rice, Gyokeres had a simple message for Sporting’s fans and said: “First time was so nice, we had to do it twice.”
Arsenal must strike soon for Viktor Gyokeres transfer
Although Arteta has outlined RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko as another centre-forward option for Arsenal, Berta and the Gunners’ rectruitment team have gone all guns blazing to secure Gyokeres’ signature.
With Gyokeres potentially available for just £60million this summer despite his contracting containing an £85m release clause, it’s no surprise to see Arsenal, Man United and Forest all on red alert for the striker.
United’s former chief scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider that Arsenal want to sign a “special” attacker above all others this summer, and given Gyokeres certaintly fits that bill, they’re now in a race against time to get the deal done.