Arsenal target putting pressure on club to lower asking price in attempt to secure Emirates transfer: Reports

As per Corrie de Manha (via Sport Witness), Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres is putting pressure on Sporting CP to sell him below their asking price. The aforementioned source similarly claims that Sporting will not sell Gyokeres for less than €80 million.

However, Gyokeres, through his agent, is mounting pressure on the Portuguese giants to sell him for €60 million plus an €10 million in add-ons. A price that Gyokeres's entourage are hoping that the Gunners could pay.

Arsenal's opening bid of €55 million plus €10 million on add-ons was reportedly rejected by Sporting recently. However, Gyokeres's camp believes that a move to the Emirates might be possible if Sporting could lessen their asking price.

Gyokeres is believed to favor a move to the Emirates over Manchester United as both clubs have registered interest in signing him. Meanwhile, the Gunners have also identified Benjamin Sesko as a target in the centre-forward area.

While deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres have remained far from being concluded, the Gunners are predicted to sign one of them this summer. Gyokeres is contracted at Sporting till 2028, and he delivered 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games last season.

"They need someone to make the difference and hopefully Viktor Gyokeres is that player" - says Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn

AFC Legends v Real Madrid Legends - Source: Getty

Nigel Winterburn is hoping that Viktor Gyokeres will be the player who would make a difference at the Emirates. The Gunners legend, however, warned that Gyokeres's accomplishments at Sporting will become trivial if he joins Mikel Arteta's side.

In a discussion with BetVictor, Winterburn revealed (via METRO):

"When Arsenal have a fully fit team then creating chances won't be a problem, they need someone to make the difference and hopefully Viktor Gyokeres is that player. What I will say is that although it's good to be excited, whatever Gyokeres has done as Sporting will be irrelevant as soon as he joins Arsenal."

He added:

"You are going to be judged on what you do in an Arsenal shirt and not what you have done at any other club, he is going to need to prove he can make a difference in the big games to win fans over."

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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava