Arsenal are set to abandon their pursuit of signing the Swedish striker. Three days have passed since the club made its offer, and the Gunners have still not received a clear signal from Sporting Lisbon indicating their willingness to let him go, making the deal increasingly distant.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Arsenal still did not receive a definitive signal from Sporting Lisbon regarding Gyökeres' transfer. Arsenal's senior officials left Lisbon on Monday morning after intense negotiations over the weekend, with the club admitting they were still willing to increase their offer.
Sporting Lisbon insists on an asking price of €80 million for Viktor Gyökeres, while Arsenal's sporting director Berta has proposed a package of €65 million fixed plus €15 million in add-ons. Of the €15 million in add-ons, €5 million is easily achievable. However, Sporting Lisbon wants the fixed portion of the transfer fee to be increased by €5 million, with the add-ons set at €10 million, keeping the total at €70 million plus €10 million.
Talks between Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon stalled after a meeting due to disagreements over the total valuation and contract terms. Now, the two sides' positions have become more entrenched: Sporting Lisbon continues to stand firm on its desired price and terms, while Arsenal's hierarchy has expressed great dissatisfaction with Sporting's stance and has almost lost patience. As a result, there has been no progress in the deal, which could collapse entirely.
Thus, Viktor Gyökeres, who had seemed destined to join Arsenal, may now have to consider other options. In any case, the Swedish striker still refuses to return to Sporting Lisbon for pre-season preparations.
