Barça's sporting management has a clear priority for the transfer market, which is to strengthen the attack with a young goalscorer who can take over from Lewandowski. Although the Polish striker is still making a difference, his age and the intensity of the schedule make it necessary to find a reliable alternative. Both Deco and Laporta have kept this in mind for a long time.
Several names have been analyzed by the Catalan sporting director together with Hansi Flick, but one of the most convincing options was Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting Lisbon's striker. At 26 years old, the Swedish forward has had an impressive season that has attracted the interest of half of Europe. At Barça, he was seen as the ideal number 9 to start a new era in the attacking zone, but the operation has become seriously complicated.
Irresistible offer, they take the lead
Reports from Portugal already take for granted that Gyökeres will play in the Premier League.Arsenal have sped up negotiations and are preparing a €70 million offer to convince Sporting and finalize his signing as soon as possible. According to Correio da Manhã, the London club's representatives have already traveled to Lisbon to get everything settled.
At Barça, they have been surprised by Arsenal's speed and their executives. Although Gyökeres was also on the radar of clubs like Manchester United and Atlético de Madrid, everything indicates that Mikel Arteta will be the one to sign the star striker. Even though there was a verbal agreement with the player to facilitate his departure, FC Barcelona haven't been able to match the conditions offered by the London club.
Ready to make the leap
With 54 goals and 13 assists in just 52 matches, Gyökeres has broken out this year as one of the most complete strikers on the continent. His dominant physique, mobility, and goal-scoring instinct have made him a constant threat. In addition, he has shown a tremendous ability to link up with teammates, which makes him even more attractive to top-level teams.
His performance has been key for Sporting to compete for every title in Portugal. Now, at 26 years old, he feels that the time has come to make the definitive leap to a top league. Everything points to his next destination being London, not Barcelona, where the dream of signing him is starting to fade into the past.