has told friends and family that he expects to join this summer, it has been claimed. The Sporting CP forward following an impressive 2024/25 season, where he scored 54 goals and added 13 assists in 52 appearances.

Manchester United and Juventus are among the other clubs interested, but Gyokeres has reportedly expressed his preference to move to north London and is desperate to get a deal done.

Mikel Arteta's side can offer Champions League football and maybe a push for the Premier League title once again next season - something that has persuaded Gyokeres.

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Now, according to talkSPORT, it has emerged that Gyokeres has informed his close relations, including friends and family, that he anticipates to make the move to Arsenal. Reporter Alex Crook revealed that he had a message suggesting that he has told them the Gunners is his next destination.

"I had a message 24 hours or so ago suggesting that Viktor Gyokeres has told friends and family he expects to join Arsenal," he is quoted as saying.

However, it's added a deal could become complicated as Sporting are going to play hardball. It's a tricky situation between Gyokeres and the club because his agent has suggested that there is a gentleman's agreement in place for the ex-Coventry City man to leave for £59 million this summer.

Sporting, meanwhile, are looking for nearer £80m - a fee that would make the player Arsenal's second most expensive signing behind Declan Rice's £100m move back in 2023.

Speaking in a press conference last week, Sporting president Frederico Vandaras said: "I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that. "To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres - neither today nor last season."

Arsenal may have scored the third-most goals in the Premier League last season (69), but they failed to have a single player register double figures in the top flight.

Their lack of firepower in attack became a problem as the campaign progressed, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus suffering serious injuries in the winter, leaving Mikel Merino as the makeshift No.9.

But the Gunners are determined to strengthen their forward line and get one over the line for next season, with Gyokeres targeted after another excellent season in Portugal at Sporting.

Speaking last month, and revealed the club are hoping to keep hold of him. He said: "He has three more years on his contract. At the moment there are no offers, he has three more years on his contract.

"I think the answer has been given. [Sporting's transfer plans] won’t be any different from last year. We want to keep the best players and retain talent.

"We want to continue to be champions, have competitive teams and fight on all fronts. I have been in this role for seven years. In the years when Sporting were champions, we even made fewer sales than in other years... the fact that we are champions gives us a greater ability to retain players and talent.

"Coincidence or not, we have not had to sell any players in those times. Not that we have not received offers, but the market is not under our control, we are always dependent."

Arsenal are juggling both Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, having opened talks with Leipzig but talkSPORT add that the Sporting man is 'more likely' at the moment.