Arsenal prepare to increase offer for Gyokeres after first bid rejected by Sporting

To secure Victor Gyokeres from Sporting CP, Arsenal will need to increase their offer. Reports from England suggest the Gunners are prepared to meet the high valuation set by the Portuguese club.

The Sporting striker is manager Mikel Arteta's top target, and he's eager to have him on board as soon as possible for pre-season.

Arsenal are considering moving closer to the 70+10 demand from Sporting Lisbon, according to reports from Abola.

Sunday was a busy day in Lisbon, with Arsenal's sporting director and one of the striker's agents present to try and finalise a deal with Sporting CP. However, the transfer talks were postponed.

The London club's offer of €65 million plus €15 million in add-ons wasn't enough to convince Sporting's management. Sporting are holding out for €80 million, attainable, but not through the 65+15 formula.

They prefer a 70+10 structure. Essentially, Gyokeres's move to Arsenal hinges on a €5 million difference in the guaranteed fee. Arsenal are reportedly considering returning with an improved offer by Friday and will likely need to get closer to Sporting's demands.

At Alvalade, everyone is counting down the days until Friday, the scheduled return date for the U21 internationals who participated in the European Championship: Geovany Quenda for Portugal and Conrad Harder for Denmark. Gyokeres's holiday has been extended to the same date, but he's still threatening to hold out from pre-season training if his transfer isn't finalised.

The striker is so eager to move that he's reportedly willing to forgo €2 million of the €8.3 million net annual salary offered by Arsenal over the proposed five-year contract. Sporting are keen to resolve the situation by then and await further talks with the London club.

In an initial approach in June, Arsenal, without making a formal offer, indicated a willingness to pay €55 million for Gyokeres. That offer was rejected, as was this latest, more concrete bid.

It's worth noting that agent Hasan Cetinkaya's mandate includes a clause obligating Sporting to compensate him with 10% of any rejected offer above €60 million, plus solidarity payments. However, if this happens, Sporting have stated they will demand the full €100 million buyout clause to let the striker leave.

Gyokeres cost Sporting €20 million in the summer of 2023, plus €4 million in already achieved add-ons. His contract runs until June 2028.