Arsenal perform incredible Man Utd ‘done deal’ hijack as Arteta’s men ‘take the lead’ for striker

Arsenal have reportedly taken the lead in the race for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres after claims his move to Man Utd was a ‘done deal’.

The Gunners are on the lookout for a new centre-forward ahead of the summer transfer market after suffering for not having a goalscorer in the second half of the season.

Liverpool were confirmed as Premier League champions on Sunday with four games to spare after they beat Tottenham 5-1.

Arsenal have now turned their full attention to the Champions League with Mikel Arteta’s side facing Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening in the first leg of their semi-final.

As well as concentrating on the Champions League, they have turned focus on to finding new players to improve Arteta’s starting XI ahead of next season.

Arsenal have been playing midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker in recent months after both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz picked up season-ending injuries in the early part of the year.

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There had already been calls for Arsenal to bring in a new centre-forward to take them to the next level but those serious injuries really highlighted it.

Sporting CP striker Gyokeres has been among the players linked to taking that centre-forward spot at the Emirates Stadium but a report emerged on Monday claiming that Man Utd are ‘confident’ that the Sweden international to Old Trafford is a ‘done deal’.

But now reports in Spain claim that Arsenal ‘appears to have taken the lead’ in the race for Gyokeres despite interest from Man Utd, Barcelona and other clubs in the Premier League and around Europe.

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The report adds:

‘Mikel Arteta has been clear with the Arsenal board: they need a guaranteed number nine to make a definitive leap forward in the Premier League and Europe. The lack of goalscoring in key moments has been one of the Gunners’ main problems, and Gyokeres is presented as an ideal solution.

‘According to various sources, negotiations are already underway between the player’s entourage and the London club, which could put an offer of more than 60 million euros on the table.

‘The Swede’s release clause with Sporting is around 100 million euros, but Arsenal are confident of reaching an agreement for a slightly lower figure, taking advantage of the player’s desire to make the leap to a top-flight league.

‘Gyokeres, for his part, is positive about the Gunners’ project, where he could become an undisputed starter and compete for major titles.’

‘Although Arsenal appears to be in the lead, they are not alone in the bidding . Clubs such as Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, and even Liverpool have shown interest in the Swedish striker. However, Arsenal’s progress in negotiations and Arteta’s persistence could be decisive.

‘Furthermore, the player believes the Premier League is the natural destination for his development, following his previous spell at Coventry City, where he already made a positive impact.’

But former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has warned Arsenal and Man Utd that he doesn’t rate Gyokeres as a “natural finisher”.

Deeney said on talkSPORT earlier this month: “You know when you say something the clip is going to come back in six months.

“I genuinely think he’s a good footballer, he works really hard, all of that. But I don’t think he’s a natural finisher.

“And again, everyone is going to pull up his goal record, I get that. But I don’t think he takes either of those two [Arsenal or Manchester United] to winning the Premier League.

“That’s just my opinion, and if he did, they’d have already bought him.”