Gyokeres Wins Arsenal's Hearts, Revenge Mission Begins

Since the previous summer until June, Arsenal has continued to prioritize RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko as their main transfer target. However, Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has overtaken him in the final stretch. The efforts and sacrifices made by Gyokeres and his agent have successfully influenced Arsenal.

The Gyokeres transfer saga has reached a turning point. According to The Athletic, Arsenal and Sporting agreed on a transfer package worth €73.5 million (Rp 1.39 trillion) on Sunday (July 13, 2025) WIB. The negotiation drama of the past few weeks, including Gyokeres' refusal to return to training with Sporting, has come to a happy end.

Agent Gyokeres, Hasan Cetinkaya, became the breakthrough in the negotiations at the last moments. He sacrificed his commission to ensure the transfer took place. The amount of the commission reached millions of euros. There was a valuation difference of around 5-10 million euros between Arsenal and Sporting that caused the negotiations to stall.

Cetinkaya continues the immense sacrifices the player has made. During initial negotiations, according to Portuguese outlet Record, Gyokeres agreed to take a €2 million pay cut from his five-year contract at Arsenal. The money was used to offset the transfer fee.

Gyokeres has also issued an ultimatum to Sporting. He is demanding the words of the club president, Frederico Varandas, who promised to release him this summer. The 27-year-old forward emphasized that he will not return to Sporting. This statement was proven last Saturday, the deadline for his vacation, when he skipped preseason training.

Gyokeres' actions are very risky. He is jeopardizing his career at Sporting. If the transfer fails, the striker will be forced to play or will be sidelined. "If they do not want to pay a fair value for Viktor, we will be very comfortable with this situation for the next three years (until the contract expires)," said Varandas.

Interestingly, since the beginning of the rumors, Gyokeres has only wanted Arsenal. According to reports from transfer specialist journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Swedish national team player rejected numerous offers, including from Saudi Arabian clubs that offered salaries significantly higher than that of Arsenal.

Ultimately, it was those efforts and sacrifices that led Arsenal to change their mind. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had actually prioritized Sesko. The 22-year-old forward had been approached since last summer. However, "The Gunners" were unable to reach a price agreement with Leipzig.

Leipzig has set a price of 80-100 million euros for Sesko. Meanwhile, Sesko and his agent have been very passive in accelerating the transfer. This is in contrast to Gyokeres, who has been proactive in seeking opportunities. Thanks to Gyokeres' persistence, Arsenal paid significantly less than the release clause of 100 million euros.

Arsenal's search for a goal-scoring machine has come to an end. Gyokeres is currently one of the best players in his position. He has scored 68 goals from 66 appearances in the Portuguese League over the last two seasons. This number is the highest among all players in the ten largest leagues in Europe since the 2023-24 season.

Gyokeres returns to the English League with a past grudge. He previously played for the English club Brighton and Hove Albion from 2018 to 2021, but never made an appearance in the world's most competitive league. This record has become the biggest question mark for the striker.

Gyokeres has only played eight times for Brighton in the FA Cup and League Cup, contributing one goal and one assist. "I spent several years there without playing a single game. So, of course, it's something I want to do. It would be incredible revenge," he told L'Equipe last Saturday.

The most appearances of Gyokeres in England were made with the second division team Coventry City. He scored 38 goals and provided 15 assists in two seasons in the Championship League (2021-22 and 2022-23). Following his impressive performances at Coventry, the player, who stands 189 centimeters tall, transferred to Sporting.

Gyokeres's goalscoring record in Portugal is impressive. He has been the top scorer in the Portuguese League for the past two seasons. The problem is, the quality of the competition is often questioned. According to Opta's performance analysis, the competitiveness of the Portuguese League is still below that of the English second division.

History proves this. Great strikers in the Portuguese League have almost always struggled when moving to other clubs. Before Gyokeres, Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi was the recipient of the Golden Shoe in the Portuguese League for the 2022-23 season (22 goals). After transferring to Inter Milan last summer, Taremi has only contributed one goal from 26 appearances in Serie A.

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez serves as the most relevant example. He arrived in the Premier League right after becoming the top scorer of the Portuguese League in the 2021-2022 season (26 goals). Nunez has still struggled to find his best rhythm with Liverpool to this day, having scored only 25 goals in the league over the past three seasons.

Despite a history that has not been favorable, Gyokeres remains confident. The number of goals he has scored demonstrates his sharp instincts. He believes he is on par with other world-class strikers, such as Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Erling Haaland (Manchester City).

"I am clearly one of them. It is difficult to determine my ranking, but yes, I am now at the same level as them. What I achieved at Sporting, I am confident I can achieve anywhere. You have not yet seen the best performance from Gyokeres," he concluded. (AP)