Mikel Arteta takes drastic action to force through Viktor Gyokeres' move to Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta managed to convinced the club to make a major change to secure the signing of Viktor Gyokeres.

Ever since the end of the 2024/25 season, it has been clear that Arsenal, along with several of their Premier League rivals, were looking to sign a new striker when the summer transfer window opened.

The likes of Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko were strongly linked with a move to the Emirates, but, after weeks of negotiations, it appears that the Gunners may finally have secured a deal for Sporting star Gyokeres.

Recent reports have suggested that Gyokeres will sign a five-year deal with Arsenal, who will pay an initial fee of around £55m (€63.5M), with another €10m in bonuses.

And as the confirmation of the deal gets closer, some of the measures that were taken to get it over the line have been revealed, including the one thing that Arteta had to convince Arsenal do to ensure Gyokeres joined.

Viktor Gyokeres is Arsenal's No.1 target. (Image: Getty)

In recent year, Arsenal's owners, the Kroenke family, have received considerable criticism from the fanbase, with many feeling that they have prioritised profits over success on the pitch.

It therefore may come as no surprise that a report from The Independent, has revealed that, despite being within the profit and sustainability rules, the Kroenkes didn't feel comfortable sanctioning a move for Isak or Gyokeres.

Instead, the Arsenal owners prefer to prioritise transfers that are 'fully responsible' and carry no risk, leading to them handing Arteta a reduced transfer budget this summer.

This frustrated Arteta who is said to have argued strongly and successfully to push the budget out this summer, allowing them to secure the statement signing of Gyokeres.

Mikel Arteta

But that doesn't mean securing the deal for Gyokeres has been easy, as Arsenal remain in discussion regarding the bonus clauses set to be included in the deal, arguing that £5m of them are too easy to achieve.

However, the report appears to suggest that because of the Kroenke's tight budget, Gyokeres will be the final player to join Arsenal this summer, having already completed deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke.