Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal transfer twist as Real Madrid make decision after ‘offer’

Real Madrid have rejected the chance to sign Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres after they were ‘offered’ the Sporting CP forward, it has been claimed.

Gyokeres, 27, has been the centre of increased transfer speculation following an excellent season at Sporting, having scored 54 goals in 52 matches across all competitions.

Arsenal have placed Gyokeres near the top of their summer shopping list, as the Gunners look to recruit a new No.9. RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko is among the others in contention.

However, it has now emerged that Gyokeres has been offered to another club. According to The Athletic, the ex-Coventry City man has been proposed to Real Madrid as they search for a striker.

But Xabi Alonso’s side have said ‘no’ and turned down the chance to sign Gyokeres. It’s added that while Real Madrid ‘like him’, they ruled him out because of the potential cost and his role in the side.

Real Madrid are instead in the market for a Joselu-type centre forward: a player who can make an impact in the box, could be signed for a low fee and would accept a back-up role to Kylian Mbappe.

Gonzalo Garcia, a 21-year-old forward from the club’s reserve team in the Spanish third division, is set to be their second-choice striker behind Mbappe at the Club World Cup.

As for Gyokeres, he is still hoping to secure an exit from Sporting this summer, two years on since he arrived in a £16.7m deal from Championship side Coventry.

It had been reported that the Sweden international has a gentleman’s agreement in place to leave Sporting for £59 million, after he rejected transfer interest last summer. Gyokeres has an £85m release clause but the Portuguese club were said to have agreed for him to depart for much less.

However, Sporting president Varandas revealed in a press conference last Wednesday that there is no agreement for Gyokeres to leave for £59m in the summer transfer window.

“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said. “To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”

Reports in Portugal then claimed that Gyokeres was left ‘disrespected’ about the situation, won’t return to Sporting for pre-season and that he would ‘rather go on strike’.

Since then, The Times have reported that Gyokeres would prefer a move to Arsenal over Manchester United after holding talks with Ruben Amorim’s Reds. However, the Gunners are split on Gyokeres and Sesko.

Speaking last month, Sporting vice-president Francisco Salgado Zenha provided an update on his future and revealed the club are hoping to keep hold of him. He said: “He has three more years on his contract. At the moment there are no offers, he has three more years on his contract.

“I think the answer has been given. [Sporting’s transfer plans] won’t be any different from last year. We want to keep the best players and retain talent.

“We want to continue to be champions, have competitive teams and fight on all fronts. I have been in this role for seven years. In the years when Sporting were champions, we even made fewer sales than in other years… the fact that we are champions gives us a greater ability to retain players and talent.

“Coincidence or not, we have not had to sell any players in those times. Not that we have not received offers, but the market is not under our control, we are always dependent.”