Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres was left frustrated this summer as he wasn’t able to secure a move to a top European team.
The Swedish striker was on the radar of the Gunners and was rumoured to be Mikel Arteta’s first-choice striker, however, Arsenal decided against signing him.
Gyokeres has now come out and said that he thinks clubs were put off signing him because of the hefty £84m release clause in his contract to which Sporting CP values him.
He told Swedish Newspaper Sport Bladet: “The €100m exit clause was probably a bit too much because nothing came of it. Of course it’s a lot of money. But we’ll see what happens next window…
“Nothing happened and it feels like I had a pretty good season. So yes, that’s probably why there was simply no move. But that’s what Sporting thinks I’m worth, and then you have to respect that.
“Of course, you aim to test other leagues and a higher level, but I have no stress.”
Arsenal were keen on Gyokeres
It was no secret that Mikel Arteta was an admirer of the Swedish striker as the Gunners sent scouts to watch him during pre-season according to Portuguese press.
Gyokeres is already familiar with English football as he spent three years at Brighton although he made just eight appearances; he also spent two seasons at Coventry City where he scored 43 goals in 116 games.
Since joining Sporting CP, Gyokeres’ record speaks for itself. He has 50 goals in 55 games.
Mikel Arteta failed to sign a striker
The Gunners were keen to add a striker this summer whether that was Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney or whoever else. But the upshot is that they failed to do so.
It leaves Mikel Arteta with just Gabriel Jesus as academy product Eddie Nketiah left for Crystal Palace towards the end of the window.
The Arsenal boss played Kai Havertz up top in the first three games, which has worked to a point with the German scoring two goals so far, but there will come a time when Arteta wants an out-and-out striker – Gyokeres could have been that man.