Arsenal intend to remain active in the summer transfer window, even after their statement signing of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.
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After a near-two-month-long saga, sporting director Andrea Berta and manager Mikel Arteta welcomed the prolific centre-forward, with Arsenal finally agreeing an initial £55m deal which could be worth up to £64 million if add-ons are met.
|
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports) |
Money on new signings |
|---|---|
|
19/20 – winter |
£0 |
|
20/21 – summer |
£81.5m |
|
20/21 – winter |
£900k |
|
21/22 – summer |
£156.8m |
|
21/22 – winter |
£1.8m |
|
22/23 – summer |
£121.5m |
|
22/23 – winter |
£59m |
|
23/24 – summer |
£208m |
|
23/24 – winter |
£0 |
|
24/25 – summer |
£101.5m |
|
24/25 – winter |
£0 |
|
25/26 – summer |
£208m |
Gyokeres was unveiled as a new Gunners player to a delighted Singapore crowd just before Arsenal’s 3-2 friendly win over Newcastle, and there is a possibility of him debuting against Tottenham on Thursday.
“We are so pleased with the excellent deal we have completed to bring Viktor Gyökeres to the club,” said Berta in an official statement.
“Viktor is an exceptional talent and has consistently demonstrated he has the qualities and winning mentality required of a top-level centre-forward. His physicality, intelligence and work ethic make him a perfect fit for our vision.
“We are confident Viktor will have a major impact on the pitch and become an important figure in our dressing room. Welcome, Viktor!”
Gyokeres’ arrival perhaps comes as Arsenal’s most significant bit of transfer business in the last few years, with a proven goalscorer long viewed as the missing piece of Arteta’s potential title-winning jigsaw.
The 27-year-old scored an incredible 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting, and their president Frederico Varandas seriously dug his heels in over letting Gyokeres leave the Portuguese champions.
Gyokeres’ agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, was even forced to waive his commission fee to help facilitate the transfer, and following weeks of talks, Arsenal at long last reached a full agreement last week (Fabrizio Romano).
After Gyokeres, Arsenal are believed to be targeting a number 10 to complement club captain Martin Odegaard, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze firmly on Berta’s radar as a key option.
Arsenal offered Arda Güler and Raul Asencio in Real Madrid part-exchange deal
Now, according to reports from Spain, Arteta and co have been offered a different playmaker in Turkey international Arda Güler.
Indeed, it is now believed Real Madrid are proposing Guler and defender Raul Asencio, plus £78 million, in exchange for star Arsenal centre-back William Saliba.
In what is an audacious claim from Europe, Berta is said to be “seriously considering” this part-exchange bid from Real, even if Arsenal and Saliba are currently locked in talks over a contract extension.
Guler has struggled for consistent game time at the Bernabeu overall, but did manage six goals and 11 assists by the end of 2024/2025 whilst playing every game of Real’s Club World Cup campaign under Xabi Alonso.
However, while Guler has displayed flashes of real brilliance since bursting on to the scene at Fenerbahçe, even being dubbed the ‘Turkish Messi‘, losing Saliba would be far too big of a price to pay, even if Asencio would also immediately come in his stead.
