Sporting demand guaranteed €70m as Arsenal close in on Viktor Gyökeres

• Personal terms agreed for Sweden forward

• Arsenal want deal done before tour of Asia

Sporting have told Arsenal they want €70m (£60.2m) plus €10m in add-ons for Viktor Gyökeres after rejecting an approach from the London club worth €65m plus €15m. After a standoff that has lasted weeks and driven Gyökeres to distraction, the clubs are in constructive dialogue and close to bringing the saga to an end.

Mikel Arteta has made a new No 9 his priority during a pivotal summer for Arsenal and he has had Gyökeres on his shortlist, together with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. If the manager has not had the encouragement he might have wanted over Sesko, the picture has been different and more clear-cut on Gyökeres, with Sporting saying they would sell for €80m – less than the value of his €100m buyout clause – and standing by the position. Continue reading...