Arsenal and Sporting are almost done negotiating a deal for the Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres, with Arsenal agreeing to pay €63.5 million (£55 million) in advance.
With Arsenal reportedly offering a further €15 million in performance-related bonuses for the 27-year-old forward, it is known that the clubs are still negotiating possible add-ons that could bring the deal’s total cost near to €80 million.
Nonetheless, both sides are confident that an agreement will be reached and the contract will be finalized in the next few days, as Gyökeres is facing disciplinary punishment from Sporting for failing to report for preseason training on Saturday.
The Guardian is aware that the transfer agents will not be paid the usual commission, which is normally around 10% of the deal’s overall worth. This allows Sporting to get a bigger upfront payment.
Had Arsenal agreed to Sporting’s original asking price of €70 million on standard conditions, the Portuguese team would have received almost €63 million after fees. Without sacrificing a cut to middlemen, they will get a little more under the new arrangement.
Gyokeres set to join Arsenal after an agreement with Sporting CP
Before they leave for their preseason trip to Singapore and Hong Kong this weekend, boss Mikel Arteta was anxious to finalize a deal for a No. 9.
Despite finishing second in the league, ten points behind champions Liverpool, and with 17 fewer goals scored, Arsenal spent a large portion of the previous season without a designated No. 9. Sporting reportedly demanded £60.4 million for Gyokeres up front, with a further £8.6 million for add-ons.
Gyokeres wanted to join the Premier League team, but he refused to go back to Sporting’s preseason training. Andrea Berta, the sporting director for the Gunners, traveled to Lisbon at the end of last week to oversee talks with the Portuguese champions.
So far this summer, Sporting president Federico Varandas has publicly fought Gyokeres, asserting that the team will not allow him to leave despite threats and extortion.
Since Gyokeres believed Sporting had broken their alleged gentlemen’s agreement to allow him to go for a reasonable amount, he was believed to be upset and wounded by the circumstance.
