Viktor Gyökeres | Ornstein: Arsenal in advanced talks

[Oakie78]

Sure, but there's 'very good numbers' and then what Gyokeres has done. 88 goals and 24 assist in 2 seasons, a goal or assist every 67mins. He's also bagged pretty well in the Europa and CL too. Pretty insane numbers.

He could flop, but there's a lot more to suggest he won't. Really hope we get him.

I agree, he has scored consistently in the UCL as you mention, aswell as in the National team.
Too many pessimistc views here I'd say., it's not like he's gonna forget how to score goals just because it's the "holy" Premiership, he'll get his chances there aswell and I'm sure he'll bury many.
I hope my Gunners grabs him and prove you guys wrong.

 

[Sporting4Ever]

You can never have 100% certainty if a player delivers or not, but Viktor is perhaps the guy I'm more confident in, and it's not because of his skill, his pace, his stamina, his physicality. It's his focus, his ambition, his hunger.

I'll give a little context and backstory. 22/23 was a lacklustre season for Sporting. We started shakily, after selling our two midfielders Matheus Nunes and João Palhinha. Nunes left with the league alr4eady underway, and right before an important game with porto. Those first weeks were crucial and we never really got those points we lost back. We also lacked goals. Paulinho was our guy in the middle, and he wasn't delivering, so come that summer one of our main goals was a striker.
Now Sporting isn't rolling in cash, and given our past experiences, we fans were understandably worried when a similar saga as this one was unfolding. The agent was pushing Coventry, and they weren't budging.
Eventually we got him for a near record fee of 20+ million with extras up to another 4.

Our apprehension lasted all of 15 minutes into the 1st game against Vizela.
At 14 minutes, Viktor does this: ht tps://www.you tube.com/watch?v=OzZu_EHA4ME (I'm breaking the link so it doesn't imbed the video, since I don't know if that's against the rules or not)
But what happened next is why I KNOW he's a different beast from previous guys. After scoring on his debut, as soon as the game restarts, he is focused again, fighting again. He intercepts a back pass, drives into the edge of area, reverses and nets his second goal barely a minute after the 1st one.
ht tps:// www.you tube.com/watch?v=V6PJVS72u1Q

These minutes represent Gyökeres perfectly. Throughout his time here he's pretty much never waivered in his desire, his commitment to his objectives. He gave it 100% whenever he was on that pitch, he played everytime he was fit and many times when he wasn't. He didn't stop running and fighting until the ref ended the game, I've lost count of how many times I saw him do one of his sprints in the later stages of the game.

He wants to win. Badly. If he fails, it won't be because he didn't try.
A lot of people are reluctant because of his age, and I think that pisses him off tremendously. He spent a lot of time being misused, ignored and neglected, and now he wants to prove to others and himself that he does indeed have what it takes.

 

[Funkenstein]

There's an article here about the currrent Opta Power rankings, which is interesting.

https://theanalyst.com/articles/strongest-leagues-in-the-world-opta-power-rankings-june-2025

So according to that, the Portuguese league is about on par with the Championship. Imagine how many people would be clamouring to sign a player that had just scored 100 goals in 2 seasons in the Championship.

Also, it's crazy that the Championship is ranked 6th strongest in the world!

 

[GoonerBear]

You can never have 100% certainty if a player delivers or not, but Viktor is perhaps the guy I'm more confident in, and it's not because of his skill, his pace, his stamina, his physicality. It's his focus, his ambition, his hunger.

I'll give a little context and backstory. 22/23 was a lacklustre season for Sporting. We started shakily, after selling our two midfielders Matheus Nunes and João Palhinha. Nunes left with the league alr4eady underway, and right before an important game with porto. Those first weeks were crucial and we never really got those points we lost back. We also lacked goals. Paulinho was our guy in the middle, and he wasn't delivering, so come that summer one of our main goals was a striker.
Now Sporting isn't rolling in cash, and given our past experiences, we fans were understandably worried when a similar saga as this one was unfolding. The agent was pushing Coventry, and they weren't budging.
Eventually we got him for a near record fee of 20+ million with extras up to another 4.

Our apprehension lasted all of 15 minutes into the 1st game against Vizela.
At 14 minutes, Viktor does this: ht tps://www.you tube.com/watch?v=OzZu_EHA4ME (I'm breaking the link so it doesn't imbed the video, since I don't know if that's against the rules or not)
But what happened next is why I KNOW he's a different beast from previous guys. After scoring on his debut, as soon as the game restarts, he is focused again, fighting again. He intercepts a back pass, drives into the edge of area, reverses and nets his second goal barely a minute after the 1st one.
ht tps:// www.you tube.com/watch?v=V6PJVS72u1Q

These minutes represent Gyökeres perfectly. Throughout his time here he's pretty much never waivered in his desire, his commitment to his objectives. He gave it 100% whenever he was on that pitch, he played everytime he was fit and many times when he wasn't. He didn't stop running and fighting until the ref ended the game, I've lost count of how many times I saw him do one of his sprints in the later stages of the game.

He wants to win. Badly. If he fails, it won't be because he didn't try.
A lot of people are reluctant because of his age, and I think that pisses him off tremendously. He spent a lot of time being misused, ignored and neglected, and now he wants to prove to others and himself that he does indeed have what it takes.

I flip flop who I prefer between Sesko / Gyokeres all the time. However, the hunger, drive, determination is what I think sets him apart from Sesko currently. Sesko has all the raw ingredients, height, pace, power, technique, rocket of a long shot etc. Of course he needs to hone his craft but he should get there.

What I don't see from him yet, is that drive and determination that Gyokeres has. Almost like he's playing on the street. Obviously he doesn't have the ability or technique of them, but that part of him reminds me a Rooney / Suarez type character.

 

[Smores]

People saying we shouldn't spend big on him as he plays in Portugal are ignoring that the fee is already reduced to account for this. If he was scoring the same amount of goals in England or Spain how much would he cost?

We need a decent striker and we can't afford top tier proven players. We have no choice other than to take an expensive risk because there's no true alternative.

 

[Daydreamer]

I flip flop who I prefer between Sesko / Gyokeres all the time. However, the hunger, drive, determination is what I think sets him apart from Sesko currently. Sesko has all the raw ingredients, height, pace, power, technique, rocket of a long shot etc. Of course he needs to hone his craft but he should get there.

What I don't see from him yet, is that drive and determination that Gyokeres has. Almost like he's playing on the street. Obviously he doesn't have the ability or technique of them, but that part of him reminds me a Rooney / Suarez type character.

I was halfway through typing pretty much exactly this in response to @Sporting4Ever.

While I'm pretty skeptical of the quality of Gyokeres opposition (outside of Porto and Benfica), what his time in Portugal has proven is a desire to be the main man in team gunning for the title. He wants that pressure.

Sesko and his reps seem to be doing the complete opposite. They appear to be carefully managing his progression. Which will probably be great for his career, but may not necessarily be best for Arsenal in the short term.

 

[Powderfinger]

I was halfway through typing pretty much exactly this in response to @Sporting4Ever.

While I'm pretty skeptical of the quality of Gyokeres opposition (outside of Porto and Benfica), what his time in Portugal has proven is a desire to be the main man in team gunning for the title. He wants that pressure.

Sesko and his reps seem to be doing the complete opposite. They appear to be carefully managing his progression. Which will probably be great for his career, but may not necessarily be best for Arsenal in the short term.

I don't disagree with any of this but you can have all the drive and determination in the world but if you don't have either elite athletic or technical qualities, and also have never played in a system at all like the one Arsenal play now, then that drive and determination only goes so far.

 

[PieCrust]

People saying we shouldn't spend big on him as he plays in Portugal are ignoring that the fee is already reduced to account for this. If he was scoring the same amount of goals in England or Spain how much would he cost?

We need a decent striker and we can't afford top tier proven players. We have no choice other than to take an expensive risk because there's no true alternative.

But that's the deal. He's not doing it in a top league, let alone the Prem.

€60m is a fair price for him based on his age and where he's coming from. I personally rate him and would like United to sign him, but I can also certainly see the risk involved for the price Sporting are demanding. I would also trust Amorim if he thinks he can transition to England.

€70m and upwards is insanity in my mind, let alone his release clause of €100m. I get the ST market is grim, so some clubs may overpay. I think we'll find out more once the first ST's start coming off the board. There was a reason that Delap was our first choice.

 

[Nazeem]

I don't disagree with any of this but you can have all the drive and determination in the world but if you don't have either elite athletic or technical qualities, and also have never played in a system at all like the one Arsenal play now, then that drive and determination only goes so far.

We will see this coming season. I have seen his qualities in Sporting, Swedish national team and champions League. He will now show it in the Premier league.

 

[Smores]

But that's the deal. He's not doing it in a top league, let alone the Prem.

€60m is a fair price for him based on his age and where he's coming from. I personally rate him and would like United to sign him, but I can also certainly see the risk involved for the price Sporting are demanding. I would also trust Amorim if he thinks he can transition to England.

€70m and upwards is insanity in my mind, let alone his release clause of €100m. I get the ST market is grim, so some clubs may overpay. I think we'll find out more once the first ST's start coming off the board. There was a reason that Delap was our first choice.

So that's around £50 million you think he's worth, on what assumed goal scoring reduction are you judging that?

Personally think he'd be good for 15-20 goals here. So for me the question is what is a 27 year old scoring 15-20 goals worth? It's more than £50 million in this market.

Delap was a bargain if he works out so it's no surprise clubs were interested as a low risk option. Who else that can score 15 goals is available at or below £50 million?

 

[TwoSheds]

Remind me again, which club did you buy him from...?



Here's a little inside info, and this isn't just rivalry talking.
Always look at players from benfica with a grain of salt. They're masters at propaganda, at making their players look much MUCH better than they sometimes are.
I'm not saying this to imply that their players are always flops, or everyone else is the real deal, mind you.
Just pointing out that benfica and their prime mover Jorge Mendes are experts at selling.

Basically, the fact Viktor did what he did at Sporting should give you more confidence in his ability (and crucially, his desire) to do the same at the Premier League.

I know exactly what you mean. Gems do come from there but not as often as players that are over hyped!

 

[bosskeano]

crazy how long this lad is twisting in the wind trying to figure out where he is going to play next season as it clearly looks like they've made intentions clear to sporting it won't be with them

 

[devilish]

I sometimes wonder if his agent is playing a fast on us. I heard what he did to Barcelona with de jong and I assure you that the guy would have made varys of game of thrones look like woodward

Basically

A- he persuaded ajax to have full control over the transfer and to keep it hush

B- he circulated that numerous clubs wanted him inc real Madrid

C- he persuaded Barca that de jong didn't particularly liked them BUT he could persuade him in joining them if the money is right

Thus Barca were busy bidding against themselves and they even gave the agent a huge signing on fee bonus

 

[Sporting4Ever]

I don't disagree with any of this but you can have all the drive and determination in the world but if you don't have either elite athletic or technical qualities, and also have never played in a system at all like the one Arsenal play now, then that drive and determination only goes so far.

This is probably why I think Arsenal are more interested in Sesko than Viktor, and why the agent is pushing the 60+10 narrative so much.
Arsenal aren't so keen on Viktor if costs the same or thereabouts as Sesko.
Personally I think he'll perform no matter where, but knowing what he can do with a system and manager that knows him, if (when) he leaves, I really really want to see him under Amorim again.

 

[Sporting4Ever]

I sometimes wonder if his agent is playing a fast on us. I heard what he did to Barcelona with de jong and I assure you that the guy would have made varys of game of thrones look like woodward

Take ANYTHING that comes from him and his best friend Fabrizio with a giant block of salt.

 

[devilish]

Take ANYTHING that comes from him and his best friend Fabrizio with a giant block of salt.

This Arsenal are working on both sesko and him is fishy. Which top player would accept to act as a plan B? Then we sometimes hear that Juve, Liverpool and Chelsea are interested which then fizzles into nothing. I wonder if united's interest in Watkins is a message from United to show that two can play that game

 

[croadyman]

This Arsenal are working on both sesko and him is fishy. Which top player would accept to act as a plan B? Then we sometimes hear that Juve, Liverpool and Chelsea are interested which then fizzles into nothing. I wonder if united's interest in Watkins is a message from United to show that two can play that game

Yeah that could well be the case

 

[Sporting4Ever]

This Arsenal are working on both sesko and him is fishy. Which top player would accept to act as a plan B? Then we sometimes hear that Juve, Liverpool and Chelsea are interested which then fizzles into nothing. I wonder if united's interest in Watkins is a message from United to show that two can play that game

Possible, but I think it's more likely that United are covering their bases. Amorim knows Viktor wants to win titles, especially the Champions League, and therefore prioritizes a move to a club he feels is closer and will help him win that.
That's also why I don't rate some of the names that have been floated, like AC Milan or Juventus. Chelsea apparently wants anyone and everyone that has a pulse and can kick a football, so I doubt he'd consider them much.
Liverpool... Is a possibility. There's been talks of players like Diaz potentially leaving, which would open up space for forwards and/or strikers, and that's probably why the rumours about Viktor and Liverpool began.

 

[Powderfinger]

This is probably why I think Arsenal are more interested in Sesko than Viktor, and why the agent is pushing the 60+10 narrative so much.
Arsenal aren't so keen on Viktor if costs the same or thereabouts as Sesko.
Personally I think he'll perform no matter where, but knowing what he can do with a system and manager that knows him, if (when) he leaves, I really really want to see him under Amorim again.

I agree. I think Gyokeres would be better in a system that is a bit more based on transitions and where it doesn't matter so much if he loses the ball a lot as long as he makes some things come off.

Napoli and Atletico seem like good fits in addition to United.

 

[devilish]

Possible, but I think it's more likely that United are covering their bases. Amorim knows Viktor wants to win titles, especially the Champions League, and therefore prioritizes a move to a club he feels is closer and will help him win that.
That's also why I don't rate some of the names that have been floated, like AC Milan or Juventus. Chelsea apparently wants anyone and everyone that has a pulse and can kick a football, so I doubt he'd consider them much.
Liverpool... Is a possibility. There's been talks of players like Diaz potentially leaving, which would open up space for forwards and/or strikers, and that's probably why the rumours about Viktor and Liverpool began.

According to Fabrizio he would have joined us (99%) if we qualified for the CL. Now I love united dearly but if we did qualify we had as much chance of winning the CL/EPL as Canada accepting to become the US 51 state.

So Gyokeres isn't too much fussed about winning major stuff else he would have avoided us and especially Lego pep..

 

[Sporting4Ever]

According to Fabrizio he would have joined us (99%) if we qualified for the CL. Now I love united dearly but if we did qualify we had as much chance of winning the CL/EPL as Canada accepting to become the US 51 state.

So Gyokeres isn't too much fussed about winning major stuff else he would have avoided us and especially Lego pep..

Don't think of it as United, think of it as joining the club where his previous manager went to, the manager with which he achieved all these things, who called him when he was still at Coventry to tell him his plans and ideas for him.
I agree that, had United won the Europa League, he'd likely be there already. But I still have hope that he joins, and that him and Amorim do at Old Trafford what they did at Alvalade.

 

[devilish]

Don't think of it as United, think of it as joining the club where his previous manager went to, the manager with which he achieved all these things, who called him when he was still at Coventry to tell him his plans and ideas for him.
I agree that, had United won the Europa League, he'd likely be there already. But I still have hope that he joins, and that him and Amorim do at Old Trafford what they did at Alvalade.

Well amorim is still here and ironically we have a better chance of winning the EPL title now then if we qualified to the CL. 1 game per week will help us a great deal.

 

[jeff gurr]

According to Fabrizio he would have joined us (99%) if we qualified for the CL. Now I love united dearly but if we did qualify we had as much chance of winning the CL/EPL as Canada accepting to become the US 51 state.

So Gyokeres isn't too much fussed about winning major stuff else he would have avoided us and especially Lego pep..

That made me smile !!

 

[GoonerBear]

I don't disagree with any of this but you can have all the drive and determination in the world but if you don't have either elite athletic or technical qualities, and also have never played in a system at all like the one Arsenal play now, then that drive and determination only goes so far.

It works the other way as well, there's players out there that have all the raw materials but there's just that something missing why they've not became top players.

Ultimately, we'd all like that unicorn striker, but he's just not out there, or certainly at an obtainable fee, so people are just going to have to take risks. The pros and cons of each option, Gyokeres, Sesko, Ekiteke, Watkins etc, have been discussed to death on here.

What gives me hope on someone like Gyokeres, is not only have we taken Havertz and he seems a serviceable striker for us, we've actually taken a central midfielder in Merino and done likewise. Then you look at the likes of Wood, Wissa, Strand Larsson all near the top of the scoring charts, and it's hard to imagine that someone like Gyokeres,.playing in a ball dominant team like Arsenal, couldn't at least be up there with them.

 

[Sporting4Ever]

Well amorim is still here and ironically we have a better chance of winning the EPL title now then if we qualified to the CL. 1 game per week will help us a great deal.

His first title here was like that. Although we did qualify for the Europa League we got knocked out in the playoff, which gave us less pressure. We had a very young and inexperienced squad, and being able to better manage them and their physical condition helped a lot.

 

[moodyred]

I'm in the "bring Gyokeres to United" camp. If we are going to trust Amorim at the helm, then given that he has worked with Gyokeres and assuming he wants him, we should bring him in.

 

[zenith]

It's gonna be a mess towards the end of the window and this is easily heading that way. There will be multiple rumours regarding oshimen, gyokeres, Sesko, etikete and Watkins and it may be fed to journalist that

'United did not see the right value proposition for such a key position and have instead chosen to give hojlund another chance with chido obi pushing him all the way. Also, the prospect of zirkzee as a no. 9 is seen as enticing to Amorim'

 

[tenpoless]

Maybe the rumours about him being interested in Arsenal and vice versa is just the president fecking around so no clubs are in for him. If Arsenal is really interested whats stopping them? They have the money and they need a CF. For all the talks there is no bid.

 

[Giggsyking]

So according to that, the Portuguese league is about on par with the Championship. Imagine how many people would be clamouring to sign a player that had just scored 100 goals in 2 seasons in the Championship.

Also, it's crazy that the Championship is ranked 6th strongest in the world!

The same people who does not want Gyökeres were dreaming about Delap and that guy scored only 8 goals in the championship.

 

[Giggsyking]

Possible, but I think it's more likely that United are covering their bases. Amorim knows Viktor wants to win titles, especially the Champions League, and therefore prioritizes a move to a club he feels is closer and will help him win that.
That's also why I don't rate some of the names that have been floated, like AC Milan or Juventus. Chelsea apparently wants anyone and everyone that has a pulse and can kick a football, so I doubt he'd consider them much.
Liverpool... Is a possibility. There's been talks of players like Diaz potentially leaving, which would open up space for forwards and/or strikers, and that's probably why the rumours about Viktor and Liverpool began.

Win the champions league and Arsenal in the same sentence. Yes. Convinced.

 

[romufc]

The same people who does not want Gyökeres were dreaming about Delap and that guy scored only 8 goals in the championship.

This is not the full truth though... Delap has scored in the PL, which you dont mention and was £30... not £70m.

Gyokeres will demand more wages too.

 

[romufc]

Maybe the rumours about him being interested in Arsenal and vice versa is just the president fecking around so no clubs are in for him. If Arsenal is really interested whats stopping them? They have the money and they need a CF. For all the talks there is no bid.

Is it possible that Arsenal are waiting to see what happens to Rodrygo before they splash cash on a CF? We know they have an allergy in signing out and out CF's and their dream signing this summer is Rodrygo.

Perhaps once the CWC is finished things might heat up at Arsenal.

 

[aeh1991]

But that's the deal. He's not doing it in a top league, let alone the Prem.

€60m is a fair price for him based on his age and where he's coming from. I personally rate him and would like United to sign him, but I can also certainly see the risk involved for the price Sporting are demanding. I would also trust Amorim if he thinks he can transition to England.

€70m and upwards is insanity in my mind, let alone his release clause of €100m. I get the ST market is grim, so some clubs may overpay. I think we'll find out more once the first ST's start coming off the board. There was a reason that Delap was our first choice.

I would prefer paying €70m for him over €50m for Watkins

 

[Vidooq]

I'm in the "bring Gyokeres to United" camp. If we are going to trust Amorim at the helm, then given that he has worked with Gyokeres and assuming he wants him, we should bring him in.

I know it's not the exact same quality of players, Gyokeres versus Antony, but this is exactly the same we were saying about Antony. Coach knows him well, bring him in. Nothing against you, just interesting coincidence of words.

 

[GoonerBear]

Maybe the rumours about him being interested in Arsenal and vice versa is just the president fecking around so no clubs are in for him. If Arsenal is really interested whats stopping them? They have the money and they need a CF. For all the talks there is no bid.

Is it possible that Arsenal are waiting to see what happens to Rodrygo before they splash cash on a CF? We know they have an allergy in signing out and out CF's and their dream signing this summer is Rodrygo.

Perhaps once the CWC is finished things might heat up at Arsenal.

I think it's that we value both Sesko and Gyokeres at no more than €70M, don't feel rushed, and feel that we are in a strong bargaining position that Leipzig or Sporting could come down to that. I suspect though in the next 10 days we might either change our stance on that if they don't, or even pivot elsewhere to someone like Watkins.

 

[awop]

Maybe the rumours about him being interested in Arsenal and vice versa is just the president fecking around so no clubs are in for him. If Arsenal is really interested whats stopping them? They have the money and they need a CF. For all the talks there is no bid.

The budget is tight:
The easy and cheaper way is Gyokeres+Eze, Arteta would rather Sesko+Rodrygo but that's a pricier duo and we're not even sure Madrid won't be cnuts about Rodrygo.
I would be perfectly happy with the first duo that is proven and ready to go and gettable for pre-season.

 

[Sporting4Ever]

Win the champions league and Arsenatl in the same sentence. Yes. Convinced.

On paper, and of the clubs that are in for him, they're the closest.
Doesn't mean it'll happen.

 

[Giggsyking]

On paper, and of the clubs that are in for him, they're the closest.
Doesn't mean it'll happen.

They were never close to win the thing, not even when they were in the final.

 

[moodyred]

I know it's not the exact same quality of players, Gyokeres versus Antony, but this is exactly the same we were saying about Antony. Coach knows him well, bring him in. Nothing against you, just interesting coincidence of words.

I understand. It is still a lower risk.

Antony wasn't that great at Ajax. Signing him at that price raised eyebrows. Gyokeres I feel is alot more proven.

 

[Giggsyking]