Arsenal are reportedly closing in on the signing of Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres with Mikel Arteta throwing his weight behind a colossal deal and with talks also opening with LaLiga side Sevilla over the loan transfer of a midfielder.
The Gunners have finished as runners up in each of the last two Premier League seasons, but are seen as getting closer to dethroning Manchester City as champions having taken the most recent title fight down to the final day of the season. And while Pep Guardiola’s men closed their fourth straight title success with little drama on the last day, Arsenal plans to go one step better next season are already well underway.
The progress the north London side have made under Arteta in the last two seasons has been eye-catching to say the least and the club’s transfer policy – overseen by the astute and wily guidance of sporting director Edu – has paid handsome dividends.
With cash at their disposal once again, TEAMtalk understands that Arsenal are ready to prioritise three positions this summer to help them go one step better, with a left-sided defender, a midfield partner for club-record signing Declan Rice and a formidable new No 9 right at the top of their wishlist.
The hunt for a new prolific striker is certainly an intriguing one, with a number of top options being looked at by the Gunners. And while their interest in Benjamin Sesko was quickly nipped in the bud by the decision of the Slovenia striker to sign a new deal with RB Leipzig, Edu and Co do have other irons in the fire.
Arsenal transfers: Gunners accelerate towards dazzling Viktor Gyokeres deal
To that end, Arsenal have looked strongly into a possible deal for Napoli hotshot Victor Osimhen, who has blasted in a superb 76 goals in 133 appearances since signing for the Serie A side in summer 2020.
The striker has made clear his wish to try his luck in the Premier League at some point in the future, though as TEAMtalk transfer expert Rudy Galetti confirms, striking a deal for Osimhen will be far from easy for Arsenal, or indeed any of his suitors.
And with a release clause set at an eye-watering €120m to €130m (£101.5m to £110m) depending on when it is triggered proving problematic, together with the fact the Nigerian has something of a slightly-concerning injury record, it seems the Gunners have now had second thoughts about proceding with such a deal.
To that end, it’s now been reported that Arsenal will instead pursue a move to sign Gyokeres instead, with the Sweden frontman recently enjoying easily his best-ever season in front of goal.
Indeed, having scored an incredible 43 goals and adding 15 assists from 50 matches this season, it is little wonder Sporting are concerned their star man could be lured away this summer.
Now, according to Portuguese publication Leonino, Arsenal are ‘about to sign Gyokeres’ in a deal worth an initial €90m (£75m), with add ons potentially taking the deal as high as €120m (£100m) – a fee which would nestle in just behind Rice as the second-costliest ever in Arsenal history.
Per the report, Arteta has also given Edu the green light to pursue the deal with the 26-year-old seen as the ‘missing piece of the jigsaw’ by the Gunners boss.
Edu in talks over loan deal for Albert Sambi Lokonga
While Arsenal are yet to officially confirm any signings so far this summer, they have waved farewell to Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny at the end of their contracts, while a permanent deal to sign David Raya for £27m is expected to be confirmed in due course.
However, the next piece of business Arsenal look likely to do will again come on the departures front with reports in Spain claiming talks are underway over the departure of Albert Sambi Lokonga.
The Belgium midfielder was a £17.2m signing from Anderlect in summer 2021, with the player making 24 appearances across his first campaign in north London. However, he never truly won the trust of Arteta and was shipped out on loan to Crystal Palace over the second half of the 2022/23 season.
There he made nine appearances, while a season’s loan at Luton last time around yielded another 19 appearances as the Hatters were relegated back to the Championships after a solitary season in the Premier League.
Now it’s claimed that a move to Sevilla is on the cards with the cash-strapped LaLiga side in talks over a season-long loan move for the 24-year-old.
And with sporting director Victor Orta likely to allow Joan Jordan to move on this summer, Lokonga is being seen as a potential replacement in their engine room.
Lokonga is well down the pecking order at Emirates Stadium and Arsenal will have no issues sending him out on loan again if an arrangement can be reached.
His deal at Arsenal currently runs to 2026 and the Gunners will hope an impressive stint in LaLiga can kickstart the player’s career, though at this stage, it remains to be seen if he will ever be seen in an Arsenal shirt again.
