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Arsenal are reportedly close to completing the deal to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. The Gunners are have now agreed to pay the fee demanded by the Portuguese side to wrap up the talks.
As per a report by David Ornstein of The Athletic, Arsenal and Sporting CP are now in the final process of negotiations. The final amount exceeds what the Gunners were initially willing to pay. However, they have agreed to meet the demands as Mikel Arteta was keen on getting the striker in soon.
Record have reported that the final fee agreed between the clubs is €80 million. Sporting CP are guaranteed €70 million, with the rest €10 million in add-ons.
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The deal agreement comes less than a day after Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas sent a warning to the Swedish striker for skipping pre-season training. He said (via Tribal Football):
"We're calm. Everything can be solved with the closure of the market, a heavy fine and an apology to the group. If they [club's interested] don't want to pay Viktor's fair market value, we'll be very comfortable with that for the next three years.
"If the geniuses who are devising this strategy think that this puts pressure on me to make it easier for him to leave, not only are they completely wrong, but they are also making it more complicated for the player to leave. No one is above the interests of the club. Whoever they are."
Gyokeres was of the belief that Sporting CP would let him leave for €60 million plus €10 million in add-ons. However, the Portuguese side's president was adamant about not letting him leave for that fee.
Arsenal told Viktor Gyokeres does not guarantee them the Premier League title
Jamie O'Hara was talking to Grosvenor Sport earlier this month and told Arsenal that signing Viktor Gyokeres does not guarantee them the Premier League title. He believes that the club have a mentality issue and that has been the main problem at the club since the exit of Arsene Wenger. He said:
"There's no guarantee that Arsenal will win the Premier League if Viktor Gyokeres signs for the club. He looks like a great player, but he hasn't experienced the Premier League yet. As much as Arsenal need a striker and have been active in the market, I think the club's mentality is preventing them from winning the league."
"Arsenal are a club that have history of being serial winners under Arsene Wenger, but they've since lost that mentality and have struggled to get over the line with a younger squad. They've come close in the Champions League and the Premier League, but they haven't won a trophy for five years, and relying on signing great players won't be enough to change that."
The Gunners also have a deal in place for Chelsea star Noni Madueke, and he has left the Blues' camp in the United States to head back for the medical.
