Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Arsenal and Chelsea to get huge discount as top target's value suddenly 'slashed in half'
Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly poised to battle it out for the same player.
Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres could join Arsenal or Chelsea in the summer for just half the value of his release clause, according to reports. Gyokeres has been ripping it up in Portugal since leaving Coventry City at the end of last season, with his prolific form said to be attracting no shortage of Premier League interest.
Gyokeres has scored 36 goals in all competitions for Sporting this season, establishing himself as one of the most in-form strikers in Europe. Chelsea were initially linked with Gyokeres in January and have reportedly been drawing up plans to secure his signature at the end of the season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have also been credited with a desire to land the Sweden international when the bidding opens in the summer. Gyokeres is widely reported to have a £86million release clause in his Sporting contract but it seems as though a deal could be done at a fraction of that price.
Sporting are prepared to sell him for as little as £43m, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, with the Portuguese giants willing to slash their asking price by 50 per cent. The report adds that Chelsea and Arsenal are on the 'front row' in the race to sign Gyokeres, who remains tied down until the summer of 2028.
AC Milan are thought to be keeping a close eye on Gyokeres' development in the hope they can convince him to move to Serie A instead of the Premier League. However, the financial pulling power of Chelsea and Arsenal will make a bidding war 'impossible to keep up' with for the Italian heavyweights.
It remains to be seen where Gyokeres will be playing his club football next season, with his Sporting future up in the air given the interest from bigger clubs throughout Europe. He recently played down the growing speculation around a potential summer move, insisting the noise is not something he ‘takes too seriously’.
Don't miss...
Chelsea 'can't escape points deduction' as Todd Boehly warned about new document [LATEST]
Liverpool target Xabi Alonso poised for exit as Leverkusen captain speaks out [INSIGHT]
Liverpool's next manager faces three problems leaving Jamie Carragher concerned [ANALYSIS]
Stay up-to-date with the latest Man Utd news
Join us on WhatsAppOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
"I don’t think much about it now actually, I want to win the league and the cup with Sporting," Gyokeres told Swedish media. "That’s where I’m putting all my energy and strength.
"It’s a sign that I’ve been performing well but it’s not something I take too seriously. It’s just speculation, but it’s good and fun to talk about. We’ll see what happens in the summer. I don’t know what will happen but I really like Sporting and I don’t feel stressed at all for what’s to come."