Arsenal’s transfer business is taking plenty of twists and turns this summer, as Andrea Berta tries to balance all of the right deals at the right time.
The Gunners have already sealed three signings with the incomings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
While those deals are completed, Andrea Berta is looking at the players who can solve problems in the forward ranks.
With three high-profile deals being lined up, Arsenal will have to be careful with the money they spend and how they spend it.
That could see them seal a surprise loan deal for a star in a repeat of a trick they used to sign David Raya.
Viktor Gyokeres loan deal opportunity could help Arsenal’s finances
Arsenal are ramping up transfer talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP this summer in a deal that could be worth up to £68 million.
The Swedish international has long been on the radar for the Gunners, with Berta seemingly proceeding with a move.
There are some question marks over the transfer fee and how that will work out, with recent reports stating that Gyokeres would be open to a loan move, which could later lead to a permanent deal.
That may come as a slight surprise, given all the talk about a permanent exit, but it’s one that could work out well for Arsenal on the financial front.
Speaking to finance expert Adam Williams, Arsenal Insider got the latest on what a loan move for Gyokeres could mean.
“The loan-to-buy route can have a number of benefits, some related to PSR and some related to tax,” he revealed.
“Because transfer fees are capitalised in a club’s accounts, any you receive go towards your profit-and-loss figures in one swoop, which is what the government charges corporation tax based on. It’s a similar system to the UK’s in Portugal, so if Sporting are forecasting a particularly big profit in 2025-26, they may actively want to generate a lower surplus on paper in the financial year and move the deal into the next financial year, when the impact might be less significant.
“This is all above board and possible in theory, though I don’t know enough about Sporting’s financial position to say if that’s what they’re actually considering here – I’m just explaining the theory.
“As it happens, I think this is why the Raya deal a few seasons ago was loan-to-buy. I know his agent said it was about PSR, but the numbers just don’t stack up for that to be the case.
“The other alternative reading is that Arsenal think they might be close to the limit with UEFA’s Squad Cost rule in 2025 but they are projecting that they are going to have more headroom in 2026, so they kick Gyokeres’ amortised transfer fee and wages into the next financial year, which will have less of an impact on their position under UEFA’s rules based on the numbers they’re forecasting.
“Premier League PSR won’t be an issue here and nor will UEFA’s Football Earnings Test, but I think things might be slightly tighter with the Squad Cost rule for a lot of clubs as the limit has been lowered to 70 per cent of revenue in 2025.”
It certainly suggests that there could be a reason for a loan to be sealed instead of a permanent deal, but it remains to be seen if it’s a route Arsenal want to take.
- READ MORE: After Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal and Real Sociedad have just completed another transfer move
Viktor Gyokeres development hitting perfect time for Arsenal move
Some questions have come about the ability for Arsenal to find some re-sale value in Gyokeres, given his age profile.
However, in reality, the Gunners are quite possibly picking the 27-year-old up at the perfect time in his career.
Arsenal have missed a goal scorer playing in the prime of their career for some time now, but Gyokeres offers exactly that.
He may have had a spell in the Championship and there may be questions about how well he can translate scoring in Portugal to starring in the Premier League, however that is just natural career progression.
Nico Kovac explained it well when his Borussia Dortmund side took on Sporting in the Champions League, stating: “The development of Viktor Gyokeres is fantastic.”
That development has taken him from the Championship to Portugal, next stop could be the Premier League.
from Arsenal Transfer News | Rumours, Deals & Targets | Arsenal Insider
Luke Thrower