Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta should be concerned about the latest comments made regarding Viktor Gyokeres by Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas.
The Gunners have been engaged in talks for the striker this summer, looking to bag a bargain, but he isn’t the only one who has been on the radar.
While Arsenal have been in discussions to sign Viktor Gyokeres, they have also been targeting Benjamin Sesko, while interest remains in Hugo Ekitike and Ollie Watkins, among others.
It has all been part of Andrea Berta’s plan to line up several options before triggering the best possible deal for the side.
That could backfire, though, not least after the latest comments made on Viktor Gyokeres and a potential move to Arsenal.
Sporting CP president points to Martin Zubimendi transfer as an example in Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal claim
It’s fair to say that Berta is playing a bit of a risky game in setting up all of these different options to sign over the summer.
Arsenal will need things to fall their way, which includes the selling club of all their targets playing along and lowering their price as a result of increased competition.
However, so far, it seems as though Sporting CP aren’t playing along.
That’s been made clear by the club president, Frederico Varandas, who has said that Gyokeres will leave, but hinted that the price is fixed.
He told A Bola: “If you ask me today, there is a strong possibility that Viktor [Gyokeres] will leave.
“In the last few weeks, we have been keeping an eye on the market, I saw a player like Zubimendi, who is six months younger than Viktor, go to Arsenal for €65 million (£51 million).
“I saw two players being sold in the Premier League, Matheus Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo, forwards who do not have the quality of Viktor, in my opinion. [They] were sold for around €75 million (£64 million). We are talking about players who are 26 years old.
“So, given the demands we make in relation to Viktor’s value, I believe he could leave, unless he has the worst agent in the world. Which I find hard to believe, because he is one of the best footballers in the world.”
It certainly spells out the desire of Sporting to negotiate a hard bargain for the star on their end, something that could be a concern for Berta.
Not least as Martin Zubimendi’s transfer to Arsenal was discussed, meaning the Portuguese side know the Gunners have the funds, making it tough to drive a bargain.
That could cause plenty of concern, especially if it turns out that Gyokeres is the number one choice and discussions are stalling.
Andrea Berta’s method only works for Arsenal if there’s no clear first-choice transfer target
Andrea Berta may have several deals lined up that could work in Arsenal’s favour, but it only works out in a few scenarios.
For this situation, the Gunners have to be comfortable with the idea of not landing a first-choice option, if there even is one.
That’s because this is a case of which club blinks first, and in this scenario, Arsenal have to feel that they can pivot to whichever option they are also negotiating for.
That means there can’t be a clear first-choice option, allowing Berta to put pressure on for a good price and also land any of the options he sets out to sign.
While the Gyokeres comments should worry the sporting director, he needs to stand firm in his methodology and be willing to adapt if the scenario changes, and he must pivot to the next option.
from Arsenal Transfer News | Rumours, Deals & Targets | Arsenal Insider
Luke Thrower