Arsenal appear to be eyeing up an "unplayable" alternative to heavily linked star strikers Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano sharing news on the Gunners' transfer plans.
Edu sets sights on new striker for Arsenal
The north Londoners are in imperious form when it comes to goal threat, having scored 31 goals in their last seven league matches.
Arsenal enter race to sign "rising star" and long time Spurs target
Looks like Edu wants to get one over on their rivals…
ByTom CoatesMar 4, 2024
Following a real return to winning ways domestically, Arsenal are still well and truly in contention to win their first league title in 20 years, but that hasn't stopped sporting director Edu from scouring the market for striker options this summer.
Brentford
March 9th
Man City
March 31st
Luton
April 3rd
Brighton
April 6th
Indeed, Arsenal are apparently still contenders to sign Osimhen and Toney, with manager Mikel Arteta on the lookout for a new number nine regardless of his side's current attacking prowess.
“We still can't rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen," said journalist Ben Jacobs to GiveMeSport last week.
"It’s also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe’s departure. I'm still told by sources that Osimhen’s priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal."
Names like Toney and Osimhen will be highly coveted, as both are heavily rumoured to be potentially leaving Brentford and Napoli this summer respectively.
Arsenal face real competition for the duo, but one alternative who's been watched by club officials is Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal "in the race" to sign Gyokeres
That is according to Romano, who told the 'Here We Go' podcast that Arsenal are in the race to sign Gyokeres this summer.
The "unplayable" Swede has excelled since joining Sporting from Coventry, having scored 18 goals while bagging a further eight assists.
“Yes I think there will be movement, this is the feeling, there is a release clause into the contract of Viktor Gyokeres and it is €100m," said Romano.
“So this is the price, even when in January we had rumours about English clubs moving around Gyokeres, the message from Sporting was very clear, the release clause or nothing.
“We know how tough it is to negotiate with Portuguese clubs, we all remember what happened for example with Enzo Fernandes to Chelsea, Pedro Porro to Tottenham – you have to pay the release clause until the end of the negotiation.
“They will not give up, so this is how they negotiate in Portugal, this is also likely for the Viktor Gyokeres deal. Arsenal scouts were in attendance to follow Viktor Gyokeres, it is true, but there are also other clubs in the race.”
The 25-year-old is in the form of his life, but if Sporting's negotation stance around his marquee release clause doesn't soften, he could actually be as difficult to sign as the likes of Osimhen and Toney.
