Arsenal have been given a clear transfer message over Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres by Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim.
The 25-year-old has been linked as a possible target for the Gunners by Ben Jacobs and others in recent times, and Amorim has now gone public to address the situation regarding his future.
Arsenal fans will no doubt hope a new striker is added to their squad soon, as one potential weakness in Mikel Arteta’s current squad is that Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah don’t really look like being 20/25-goal-a-season players.
Gyokeres has been in superb form since joining Sporting in the summer, so could be an ideal upgrade for Arteta’s attack, but Amorim has been clear that it will require triggering the player’s release clause to get a deal done.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal can afford to pay that clause in January, with Jacobs noting that the current fee is set at €100m.
“He has a cancellation clause and will only leave with that clause. If that happens, there’s nothing we can do,” Amorim said in quotes carried by O Jogo, as cited and translated by Sport Witness.
“It’s normal for clubs to be on the lookout for players in Portugal because they’re ready for the best leagues in the world. But it’s clear that only for the clause.”