Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres explains why summer switch didn’t happen – but opens door to future transfer

Viktor Gyokeres has urged he was priced out of a summer season transfer by Sporting Lisbon amid reported curiosity from Arsenal.

The Swedish striker was closely linked with a swap to the Emirates following his unbelievable goalscoring exploits within the 2023/24 season.

He banged in 43 objectives and supplied 15 assists in 50 video games in all competitions to fireplace Sporting to the Portuguese league title.

It has been broadly speculated that the Gunners are large admirers of the 26-year-old, who scored 21 Championship objectives for Coventry within the 2022/23 marketing campaign.

However Arsenal didn’t formalise their curiosity within the ex-Brighton centre-forward, with Mikel Arteta deciding towards bringing in a striker in the course of the summer season window.

And with the participant boasting a launch clause price £85million, Gyokeres believes the massive sum of cash delay potential suitors.

He advised Sport Bladet: “They (Sporting) needed a lot of the beginning gamers to remain and held us tight.

“That’s the way it turned out, however I take pleasure in Sporting very a lot, so for me it was no drawback to remain.”

Gyokeres then refused to rule out a transfer away from Sporting in 2025 as he remained coy over his future.

He added: “After all. You need to play on the highest degree.

“It (his £85m launch clause) was most likely a bit an excessive amount of as a result of nothing got here of it. After all it’s some huge cash. However we’ll see what occurs subsequent window.

“Nothing occurred and it appears like I had a fairly good season. So sure, that’s most likely why there was merely no transfer.

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“However that’s what Sporting thinks I’m price, after which it’s important to respect that.

“I take pleasure in myself very a lot in Sporting and might’t complain about something, so it’s completely no drawback for me to remain.

“After all, you purpose to check different leagues and the next degree, however I’ve no stress.”

As if there was ever any doubt, Gyokeres has began the brand new season in blistering trend – chipping in with seven objectives and three assists in 5 membership matches.

He has discovered the again of the online in every of the opening 4 top-flight matches.

And he even fired in towards Azerbaijan for Sweden of their 3-0 Nations League victory on Thursday night time.

If he continues his outstanding kind, you would not put it previous a European large of seeking to snap him up when the market reopens in January.

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