Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has found a breakthrough in Viktor Gyokeres transfer talks
Arsenal have reached a verbal agreement with Sporting CP for the signing of Viktor Gyokeres – the result of thorough negotiations this July.
That is as football.london understands and as first reported by David Ornstein. A full structure to the striker’s transfer now has an outline, with the Gunners and their Portuguese counterparts settling on a deal in principle worth €63.5m (£55m) with €10m (£8.7m) in add-ons more than a week ago.
So, once the formalities are complete it is Mikel Arteta who will be tasked with doing as he sees fit with Gyokeres, crafting a system to get the best out of a player who scored 97 goals in 102 Sporting appearances.
Though the manager cannot take credit for being the one to break down the Liga Portugal champions’ resolve. That honour falls to sporting director Andrea Berta.
Four months ago Arsenal were operating without an occupant of this position, as a result of predecessor Edu Gaspar’s departure last November.
The club were unable to get any incomings over the line without a sporting director in the January window, which included an attempt to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.
Now with Berta’s touch Arteta has new midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, winger Noni Madueke and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to play with, and soon there will be Gyokeres too.
These five arrivals fit directly within the goalkeeping, midfield and attacking departments that were marked for the most pressing improvement before the new season rolls around. Although some may feel the Gyokeres saga has been protracted, ultimately Berta has cleared the timeframe he was given to recruit a striker with some to spare.
And in the Sweden international’s case, his masterclass in dealmaking could be regarded as a financial success.
As stated earlier, the final total for Gyokeres’ transfer will be €63.5m (£55m) upfront and €10m (£8.7m) to potentially be paid as add-ons.
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