Manchester United’s pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres appears to be in danger as Arsenal return to the negotiating table.
Earlier this month, Arsenal reportedly offered €55 million plus €10 million in add-ons in what was their opening bid for the Swede, only to be turned down.
Although the club’s interest appeared to be cooling down following this rejected bid, it appears that Man United’s Premier League rivals are back in the transfer race with renewed enthusiasm.
Yesterday, The Peoples Person relayed that Arsenal were lining up a second offer for Gyokeres.
Now, it appears as if this expectation has come to fruition.
This morning, Portugal’s A Bola reported that Arsenal will be submitting an improved offer for Sporting’s lethal goalscorer.
“In the negotiations, Arsenal are willing to go up another floor and reach €60 million for Gyokeres. An advance that could happen in the next few days, but that will still hold up the deal, as Sporting have already announced that the bar has been raised to €80 million,” the Portuguese newspaper wrote.
Still, the news outlet claimed that the North London side’s bid is likely to be rejected as well. “But in this scenario, there is a problem: the offer, formal or not, will hit the post, because the Lions have already made it known that this amount is not enough to take Viktor Gyokeres,” the article explained.
But even if the offer is rejected, Arsenal still appear to be in with a chance of signing the Swedish striker.
The report claimed that if Arsenal are willing to increase their offer above €60 million, the player’s agent is set to earn a 10% cut from the transfer value.
“If Cetinkaya [Gyokeres’ agent] activates this clause, it is known that the management of the green and whites will start demanding the value of the contract termination clause, of €100 million,” the report noted.
Furthermore, the article claimed that Arsenal are the frontrunners in the race to sign Gyokeres. “If Arsenal are willing to make a new move, the other most serious competitor, Juventus, will move away and turn to another target, more specifically Jonathan David, whose contract with Lille is coming to an end.”
While United are reportedly Gyokeres’ preferred destination, the club would do well to avoid overspending on the striker, especially when they have the mountainous task of undertaking a summer squad rebuild.
Featured image Gualter Fatia via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
