Why Arsenal have not completed £72m Viktor Gyokeres transfer yet

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Viktor Gyokeres all summer but nearly seven weeks after the transfer window opened, the prolific striker remains a Sporting CP player.

As of yet, there has been no confirmation of the big money transfer going through. Negotiations have hit a snag once again, it seems, and talks between the two clubs continue.

football.london reported earlier this week that Arsenaland Sporting had finally come to an agreement on a €73.5million (£63.7million) deal for the striker with €10million (£8.4million) of that fee in add-ons. However, while the overall price has been agreed, the structure and manner in which the add-ons are achieved are the final details that the clubs are trying to iron out.

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It is thought that the Portuguese side reportedly want the add-ons to be near-guaranteed, whereas Arsenal would prefer more challenging criteria to be met. According to Portuguese newspaper Record, as quoted by Sport Witness, talks remain slow and there has been little progress.

It is a frustrating situation for all involved, particularly for the player and Mikel Arteta. The Arsenal boss wanted his new No.9 on the plane on Saturday (July 19) when the squad fly out to Singapore for their pre-season tour of Asia. Games against AC Milan and Newcastle will be played in the country before the North London Derby is played out in Hong Kong on July 31.

With Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz picking up serious injuries last season, Mikel Merino was forced to play in the striker role as a temporary solution. The arrival of Gyokeres will finally give Arsenal a world class frontman capable of finding the net from just about anywhere. The 27-year-old scored 54 goals last term and the hope is he will hit the ground running in the Premier League.

For that to happen, though, Gyokeres will want to forge as many relationships as possible with his new teammates in pre-season. After the pre-season tour of Asia, the Gunners will play Villarreal and Athletic Club at Emirates Stadium so there still would be time for Gyokeres to get used to his new surroundings. The Premier League season then kicks off against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 17.

Sporting have already played two pre-season friendlies themselves but Gyokeres was not among the players to feature. In fact, the Swedish frontman has failed to report for pre-season at all as he looks to force through a move to Emirates Stadium.

Gyokeres will no doubt still be doing individual work to maintain his fitness levels going into the 2025/26 season. Arteta will want his striker up to speed as soon as possible and for Arsenal, Arteta and Gyokeres it is hoped a deal will be announced in the coming days.