Arsenal have been runners-up in the Premier League in each of the last three seasons. It was thought that they could challenge last season, with Manchester City off the pace. However, Liverpool ran away with the title, with the Gunners having little firepower up front.
Mikel Arteta's side has Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus as strikers, but both have struggled with injuries. This led to Arsenal having to play midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift center-forward. It is believed that the Gunners could win the Premier League if they had a striker who could guarantee them 20+ goals a season. However, a deal for their number one target is in danger of falling through.
Record has reported (translated from Portuguese), " Just when everything seemed to be heading toward a conclusion to the long standoff between Gyökeres and Sporting, after Arsenal and the player's agent presented a deal that guaranteed Sporting SAD a fixed €70 million plus €10 million for objectives, talks between the three parties reached a dead end this Monday and are at risk of collapsing completely.
"There is a disagreement regarding the bonuses, as Sporting is demanding that the variable component of the proposal, of 10 million euros, be easily achieved, while Arsenal is resisting this request."
How big a blow to Arsenal would it be to miss out on Viktor Gyökeres?
Gyökeres is one of the most sought-after strikers in world soccer after he scored 39 goals, with eight assists in 33 games in the Primeira Liga last season. He has experience of English soccer, having played for Coventry City, Swansea City, and Brighton & Hove Albion. However, Gyökeres is yet to play in the Premier League.
The Sweden international has proved that he is too good for the Portuguese league and needs to leave Sporting Lisbon. He is the missing piece to Arsenal's roster, so it would be devastating for the Gunners to miss out on signing the forward. Especially if it is over a proposed bonus of as little as €10 million.
If the deal to Arsenal falls through, then there is a danger that Gyökeres could end up at a rival Premier League club. The striker played for Ruben Amorim at Sporting, and the player has also been linked with Manchester United. Gyökeres has expressed how much he enjoyed playing under the current United boss, Amorim.
Who could Arsenal sign instead of Viktor Gyökeres?
Transfers for a lot of other strikers that Arsenal have been linked with appear to be off the table. Alexander Isak looks set to stay at Newcastle United. Dušan Vlahović reportedly favors a move to AC Milan, and Victor Osimhen is set to join Galatasaray permanently.
The Gunners could turn their attention back to Benjamin Šeško if the Gyökeres deal falls through. However, the RB Leipzig player may not be too happy knowing that he was the second choice. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins could also be an option for Arsenal, but Unai Emery will be reluctant to let his only recognized senior center-forward depart.